Happy 4th!!

Happy Birthday, America!

Hope you all are doing fun and exciting things to celebrate.  Me, I will be studying.  With beer.  (I have to remind myself it's a holiday somehow, right?)  3 more days of class and one final exam until MY summer vacation starts... so much stitching and pattern writing to do, and I can't freakin wait!!!

In the mean time... this is what I'm wearing today.  I liked the crochet edging from the LBD DIY so much, I find myself adding it to just about anything!    Here I added it to some men's underpants I bought at Target.  Cheap and comfy, I'll be a happy beer drinking studier today!

Happy holiday, all!  Happy stitching!

Extra idea for The Pineapple Robe

You may have purchased the pattern to make the pineapple robe... it has been pretty popular which is pretty awesome - it's my favorite too!

So say you don't want to invest ALL that time and ALL that yarn...  Make a shorter version!

Repeat the pattern for the body pieces 3 times total on the back piece,  once to establish the collar for each of the front pieces, and then 2 repeats of the normal pattern after that, and two repeats of the pattern for the sleeves.  Now you have a nice short summer sweater instead of a robe!  YAY!  Stitch happy!

Fringe Your Clothing DIY

OK!  Time to slip this free DIY in before summer school starts!  It's been a while!

I'm loving the fringe trend right now!  Here is a cool way to add fringe to some clothes you have lying around that might need a little pick me up.

You will need:
-Cotton yarn (Worsted weight or thinner, but cotton drapes the best)
-Crochet hook that matches the gauge of your yarn
-A piece of clothing that needs a lil something
-Needle and thread

Chain a multiple of 5 plus one that fits the length of the garment you are adding the fringe to.  (Remember, the chain length gets a bit longer, once there are stitches in it.)

1sc in second ch from hook and in each ch across. Turn.

Ch. 1, 1sc in each sc across.  Turn.

Make one more sc row.

*Chain 9, skip the next 4 sc stitches.  Make 1 sc in the 5th sc.  Repeat from * across.  Turn.

Chain 15. 1 sc in ch-9 space of previous row.  *Chain 9, 1 sc in ch-9 space of previous row.  Repeat from * across.

Repeat the previous row 3 more times.

Cut, bind off, weave in loose ends.

Cut 10 inch pieces of yarn.  Take two strands and a time, fold them in half, and loop them through the chain 9 spaces in the last row.

Sew the sc rows onto the piece of clothing you are dressing up with a needle and thread.  If you are really feeling awesome, you could use your sewing machine.

Also, I just had a great customer share how to use a "sharp crochet hook"...  WHAT?  It's pretty cool!  I haven't tried it yet, but if you have a piece of clothing you don't mind experimenting on...  go for it!

Faux Fur Stole

So after the post on cool ways to wear some fur collar/stoll/neck pieces from yesterday.  Here's a chance to make one yourself.  It used the Loop Stitch that has pretty much been the theme for this week.  It works up quickly and looks pretty awesome!  The pattern is written in two sizes.

On a side note... this is probably the very last week there will be both a Free DIY AND a new pattern for sale.  School started Tuesday.  Time for homework!  Still hoping to at least have one new thing a week, but can't make any promises.  Wish me luck!

As always, this new pattern is available on Etsy, Ravelry, and Craftsy!  Email me at SansLimitesCrochet@gmail.com with any problems/questions/concerns!  Happy Stitching!

Fur Collars

I love these little fur collar looks...  check back tomorrow for some ideas on making a crochet version of one... and then wear it as awesomely as these gals have...

Beth Jones from B Jones Style

Rumi Neely from Fashion Toast

Blair Eadie from Atlantic-Pacific

Spotlight on Skin Cancer

Hi all!  I'm sick on the couch for the 4th day now...  bummer dude.

Luckily the Downton Abbey premiere and an email of this video have brightened my day!

Last year, Meredith bought the Power to the Pom Hat in bright orange so it could be used in this video about skin cancer awareness.  Definitely a topic important to me since many people in my family have had it.  So... stitch happy, get yourself checked, and try to spot the Sans Limites in this video!

Read more from her interview HERE.

Amanda's Dress

Hey all!  I'm thinking about this dress pattern a lot... why?  2 reasons.

1. Amanda (my little sister)  will be home from Boston in 6 days.  And lots of turkey and pie eating will take place... and I will be so happy.

AND 2.  The pattern for the dress I made her will soon be featured on the Annie's website.  WOOH!  Had to take some new photos of it for the site (sadly without Amanda modeling).  Here are a few of those photos.

If you haven't tried this pattern out yet... it is DEFINITELY one of my absolute favorites.  I get so many compliments on it each time I wear it and it is not as hard as it looks to make!  Happy Stitching, friends!

Crochet Shoes DIY

OK... today I want to try attaching some crochet to really cute shoes...

You will need:
- Cheap shoes from goodwill that you won't mind trashing if you get carried away with Mod Podge.
-  Mod Podge Craft Glue
- Crochet thread (size 3- the thicker kind) in a couple colors
- A small crochet hook like a C

Some skills you're going  to need to count on:
-Increasing single crochet (like putting 2 stitches into one)
-Decreasing single crochet (like single crochet 2 together)
-Color changing skills

I can't count on what kind of shoes you're going to be doing this on, or the size... so this is going to require some design work on your part (you can do it!!!)!

Identify the main shape of the shoe.  Use your increasing and decreasing skills to make the piece fit right on the shoe like a slip cover.

If you are feeling especially design savvy, work your color changing skills in there to make a cool design.

When you are happy with the crochet pieces, take your mod podge and cover the shoe and crochet piece both.  Glue that crochet piece on.  A little glue might come through the stitches as you press the piece on and that's OK.  Let it dry for a day or two and then they are ready to wear!

I used these two images as inspiration for my shoes.

 Image from Fashion Me Now

 Vintage Anna Sui

Fall Preview

I've been completely hooked on bags this summer (can you tell?).  Last summer it was dresses and tanks...  to be completely truthful... I can't wait for fall.  Fall weather is just so much more crochet friendly.  I've been working on something I'm quite excited about... still in the perfecting stages.  Here's a preview of a little something long sleeved, backless, with diamond cutouts.  Perfect for fall.  Wearing it here over my favorite maxi dress...  pattern coming soon.  Hoorah!

Crochet Pocket DIY

Have you seen all those awesome cut-off shorts with the cool patterns all over one side?  I love them!  Now here's a chance to make your own!

You will need:
-Some jean shorts (try getting them at a thrift store!)
-Some yarn or crochet thread in a few colors.  I wanted a more delicate look so opted for thicker crochet thread, but you can use some regulation yarn for this too.
-Crochet hook that matches your yarn gauge (for crochet thread I'm using a C)
-Needle and thread
-AND... if you want to create your own pattern different from mine, some graph paper could come in handy.

Required skills:
-Color changing (tutorial found HERE!)
-Decreasing (best to use single crochet 2 together)

So here's what you do...
Chain a multiple of 12 plus 1 if you are using my pattern.  If you made your own with graph paper, chain a multiple of whatever your pattern requires plus 1, so that it fits across the bottom of your shorts.

Now take your color changing skills into account keeping track of right and wrong sides to make this pattern. 

Start with this one:

Then repeat this one two times:

Keep repeating these alternating between the two patterns.  When you reach the opening for the pocket, start making the decreasing stitches.  For my pocket, I made 2 sc2tog stitches on the pocket end of each row.

When the piece fills the short pretty well, make a single crochet border around the whole piece to give it a finished edge.  Take your needle and thread and sew the piece onto your shorts.

And TA DA!  You've got some really super cool shorts!

Crochet in Paris

On the way home from Italy last summer, we had an 18 hour layover in Paris... a good portion of which was spent trying to get a bit of sleep on some rock hard chairs in the train station... we were not successful.

I'm currently trying to decide if I should blow my savings account to go to Paris for my birthday in a few months and have a longer, less sleep deprived adventure.  Thoughts?

I have a crochet scarf I love so much.  I wore it my one day in Paris.  Enjoy Paris photos that follow!

Crochet in Sorrento

This time last year I was moving, finishing up Craft Lake City, and getting ready to go to Italy.

I really really really wish I was getting ready to go to Italy again... especially Sorrento.  That little Italian seaside town might as well be heaven... that's how loveable it is.  (There's even a yarn store there!!!)

Last year I made a version of The Crochet Tee with crochet thread to wear on my trip.  Enjoy Italy photos that follow!