First, the facts:
Title: French Girl Knits Accessories: Modern Designs for a Beautiful Life
Author: Kristeen Griffin-Grimes
Published by: Interweave Press, 2012
Pages: 119
Type: Patterns
Chapters:
La Vie Quotidienne (A Look at French Daily Life and Style)
Les Chapeaux and les Toques (Hats and Toques)
Les Mietains et les Chaussettes (Mittens and Socks)
Les Etoles et les Cache-Coeur (Shawls and Wraps)
The In-Depth Look:
This is a delightful follow-up to French Girl Knits a few years ago–only this time, instead of sweaters, this book is full of accessories. Hats. Mittens. Shawls. Socks. 16 projects in all.
The author begins by saying, “Ask any French woman what she considers the most invaluable items in her closet and unfailingly the response is Les Accessoires–The Accessories! In concert with a classic little black dress, vintage Chanel handbag, and perfectly tailored coat, you’ll find a treasure trove of scarves, wraps, bags, gloves, and, thankfully now, especially among the younger femmes francaises, a collection of knitted hats that runt he gamut from tres chic berets to funky, slouchy Rasta-styled caps. My French friends’ scarves, shrugs, gloves, and socks alone would need a Dewey decimel system to catalog them.
She begins the book with a look at French Style. She says, “I offer this [small personal treatise on French Style] as what one American woman has learned from traveling and living among the French. It is profoundly easy to glamorize another culture–and I’ve done that aplenty with my French musings–but I’ve also come to realize that there are reasons why the French have developed such a well-defined ‘look.’ We can learn from them to make our lives (and the garments we knit) a more authentic reflection of our personal style.”
But then come the patterns–sixteen lovely accessories to make your life a little warmer, a little more stylish. Fingerless mitts to keep your hands warm. Socks and ballet-inspired slippers to wear around the house. Wraps to cover your shoulders. A variety of hats. They run the gamut from sweet to chic and just fill the need of things that are beautiful but also practical.
Stylish, indeed.
You can get your copy at Amazon.com.
Want to see bigger pictures? Click here.
This review copy was kindly donated by Interweave Press. Thank you!
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