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Colorful knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame from craft book author & designer Heidi Gustad.

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Free Patterns from the Blog

Dozens of free knitting and crochet patterns ranging from basic scarves to cabled sweaters, all designed by Heidi Gustad.

24 Randomly Sorted Patterns:

Knit Lightning Bolt Toy

Knit a Harry Potter inspired lightning bolt toy in no time! This free pattern makes a great baby gift, gift topper, key chain or holiday ornament.

Peruvian Market Tote

Crochet yourself this versatile Peruvian Market Tote, perfect for quick trips to the store! Get the free crochet pattern.

Simple Basketweave Baby Blanket

Simple Basketweave Baby Blanket - Free Knitting Pattern at Hands Occupied

Volcano Hat on The Knit Show – Let’s celebrate with a giveaway!

Volcano Hat by Heidi Gustad - get the free, beginner-friendly knitting pattern, as seen on The Knit Show with Vickie Howell!

Newbie Fringe Scarf Pattern

The Newbie Fringe Scarf - A free beginner pattern!

Crochet Orange Ornament

The gift of citrus fruit, particularly oranges, is a long-standing Christmas treat. To celebrate this old-fashioned holiday tradition, crochet a fast orange ornament for your tree! Get the free pattern on Hands Occupied.

Crochet Bell Ornament – 12 Ornaments of Christmas

Crochet this sweet little bell ornament for your Christmas tree! - Click through for the free, quick & easy pattern!

Fisherman’s Rib Baby Blanket

Knit the Fisherman's Rib Baby Blanket, a great option for a decorative throw or baby blanket. This pattern uses an addictive stitch with lots of and dimensionality that will give your blanket endless texture.

Moon & Star Softies – Free Knitting Pattern

If you're looking for a baby knitting idea that isn't your standard blanket or sweater, this quick-to-make set of stuffed knit toys is just the ticket. Get the free knitting patterns on the Hands Occupied Blog.

Little Sprout Baby Hat

Little Sprout Baby Hat Knitting Pattern at handsoccupied.com

The 45-Minute Wrap – Free Arm Knitting Pattern

The 45-Minute Wrap, a free arm knitting pattern made with Zen Yarn Garden's Big Up! jumbo weight yarn.

Mini Golden Snitch Sweater Pattern

A free knitting pattern for a mini golden snitch sweater, inspired by the sweater Harry gets in book six!

Herringbone Foldover Clutch

Get your hands on the free pattern to knit this versatile foldover clutch out of fabric yarn!

Lopi Tote – Free Knitting Pattern

The Lopi Tote makes use of bulky yarn and elegant, screw-in handles to create a deep bag with a wide base that knits up quick. Get your hands on this free pattern, designed with knitters in mind. The Lopi Tote is perfect for carrying your next knitting project on the go!

The Remy Pullover Sweater (& Lion Brand Giveaway Winner!)

Quad Cable Scarf

Click through to get a free pattern for the Quad Cable Scarf by Heidi Gustad

Wrapping Up the 12 Ornaments of Christmas

Knit or crochet some adorable ornaments to trim your tree! Get your hands on 12 free knit and crochet patterns for Christmas ornaments. Each ornament doubles as a great gift topper & stocking stuffer!

Cross Body Phone Case Pattern

Cross Body Phone Case Pattern with T-shirt Yarn at handsoccupied.com

Ripple Wrap – Free Crochet Pattern

Get your hands on the free crochet pattern for the Ripple Wrap! The Ripple Wrap is a four-color take on one of the most universally-recognized crochet stitches: the ripple stitch. Seen in afghan patterns in grandmothers' houses everywhere, the ripple stitch creates a fun zig zag pattern that opens up tons of possibilities for color combos.

Knit Holiday Ornaments Three Ways

Add some handmade cuteness to your Christmas tree this year - knit up a colorful ornament for your tree with one of these three free patterns.

Big Old Bias Knit Scarf

The Big Old Bias Knit Scarf is a free knitting pattern. It's perfect for experienced knitters looking for a palette cleanser (and a way to use up those yarn ends), but it's also good for beginners who want to make something that looks super elegant.

Shot Through the Heart – Knit Wall Hanging Pattern

This heart-inspired wall hanging is a fun, quick way for knitters to add a geometric blast of color and texture to your walls without having to master a whole new fiber craft like macrame or weaving. Click through for the free pattern!

Crochet Milk & Cookies Ornaments – 12 Ornaments of Christmas

A set of free crochet patterns for making super cute milk and cookies ornaments for your Christmas tree. Click through for the free patterns.

Triangle Rib Baby Hat for Charity Knitting (plus a Charity KCAL!)

The Triangle Rib Baby Hat knits up so quickly! Get your hands on this free charity knitting pattern for babies on Hands Occupied. #charityknitting #freepattern #babyknitting

Even more free patterns →

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Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), and I’ve been helping yarn crafters untangle various techniques on the internet since 2010. I got my start here, as a blogger, and since then I’ve shared more than a few tutorials here and on YouTube as I’ve grown as a pattern designer. 🧶

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Knitting & yarn crafts designer 🧶
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Stay up-to-date 💌 & shop new patterns ⤵️

POV: Showing you how my new Bevelled Tank pattern

Let’s talk about fit and ease! . During the Beve

Let’s talk about fit and ease!
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During the Bevelled Tank design process for @pompommag, I knit 2 samples using 2 different @KelbourneWoolens yarns. One was in Skipper (100% cotton, second photo) and the other was in Camper (100% 2 ply wool). The Skipper sample was knit for a 36” bust, which measures in at 40” with 4” of positive ease. And I knit the Camper Sample for my 40” bust with a 44” finished measurement. (BTW, I’m 5’5” for folks that find that measurement helpful in visualizing fit.)
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Based on the size chart for the Bevelled Tank, that means I knit one size 3 sample and one size 4. As designed, I conveniently fit a size 4 as intended with 4” of positive ease. When I wear the 3, there is no ease at all because the garment and my body are both 40” in size. Comparing the 2 garments, you can see how the fiber content (cotton vs. wool) and fit (no ease vs. 4” of positive ease) makes a difference in the look and feel of the finished garment.
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These samples are a great way to compare what ease looks like on different bodies. While I can fit both a size 3 and 4, the garment with no ease feels more like pajamas or a bralette when I wear it. On the other hand, when I wear the one with 4” of positive ease, I feel comfortable enough to wear it to work, even as a crop top. Plus, it leaves me with enough room to layer it with a nice button down if I’m not feeling the cropped look one day.
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I’m curious - how would you style this tank? Would you modify it with a few stockinette rows for added length? I’m so curious now that this pattern is finally out in the world. :)
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #bevelledtank #handsoccupied #knitting #intarisa #handmade #kelbournewoolens #croppedsweater #summerknits

After a 6 month hiatus, I am happy to say I’m ba

Here’s a nice throwback for you: my take on a vi

Here’s a nice throwback for you: my take on a vintage knitting pattern from 1938 called the Fernlace Pullover. A pattern so nice, I knit it twice.
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Yellow version 💛: knit with Despondent Dyes’ Vintage Vixen Sport after attending a @squidneyknits vintage knitting retreat in 2019 & learning *so much*. Paired with a self-drafted circle skirt pattern.
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Blue version 💙: knit with @eweeweyarns Ewe So Sporty in Sky Blue. Paired with the 1940s Boardwalk Duet sewing pattern from @decades_of_style
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Head to my stories for 🔗🔗 to the handmade wardrobe blog posts I wrote about each take on the Fernlace Pullover, working with a vintage pattern, where to find vintage patterns (including the one I used), & some thoughts on sizing.
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Image descriptions available in alt text.
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#handsoccupied #handmadewardrobe #fernlacepullover #vintageknitting #vintageknittingpatterns #knitting_inspiration

Frogging is a word in the knitting world that mean

Frogging is a word in the knitting world that means to rip out your knitting. It’s called frogging because frogs say “ribbit,” and when you’re tearing out your knitting, you will “rip it” out, and that sounds like ribbit. No really. 🐸 Did you know this fun fact?
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P.S. I did like this design concept, but to make the pattern more knitter friendly as well as more wearable, I am making some tweaks to the construction. Excited to share when it’s ready! 🥰🧶
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Yarn: @blueskyfibers Woolstok North in Morning Frost & Highland Fleece
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#handsoccupied #knitting #frogging #blueskyfibers #knittersofinstagram #blueskymakers #knittingvocabulary #bsfmakers #knitdesign

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