Product Details
French Girl Knits: Innovative Techniques, Romantic Details, and Feminine Designs

French Girl Knits: Innovative Techniques, Romantic Details, and Feminine Designs
By Kristeen Griffin-Grimes

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Product Description

Superbly fitted and fashioned in luxurious yarns, these imaginative patterns follow four thematic vignettes inspired by French daily life, film, and history. Each section features dramatically different types of yarns, colors, and stitch patterns combined with timeless, figure flattering silhouettes that are suitable for knitters of all skill levels. Using innovative seamless construction methods, the need for sewing seams has been nearly eliminated by fashioning patterns in one piece from start to finish, easily allowing for adjustments for a custom fit. A handy design workshop features in-depth tutorials that teach seamless construction methods and provide valuable technical information for both beginning and seasoned knitters. Perfect for all body types, the designs are figure flattering with curve friendly waist shaping, empire waist detailing, and stitch details such as lacing, openwork, lace edgings, and bell sleeves that highlight the silhouette.

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #15267 in Books
  • Published on: 2009-02-01
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Binding: Paperback
  • 160 pages

Editorial Reviews

Review

"5 out of 5 stars. I really love the designs in this book. All the designs have great body shaping, many with curve-friendly waist shaping and/or empire style waists."  —Knitting News


"A lovely book full of great patterns for women who love romantic knits as well as those who like more of an edge. The book is a great way to learn seamless techniques."  —About.com Guide to Knitting



"So captivating, so conducive to wistful longing that my eyes well up at the thought of it . . . it's a feast even if you never knit a thing from it, so why deny yourself the pleasure?"  —Twist Collective


"Oh la la! This singular collection drips with je ne sais quoi, its 18 body-conscious pieces revealing both rustic and dans-les-rues influences of French fashion."  —Yarn Market News


"Everything that you'd expect from a knitting book inspired by 'an appreciation of the small, lovely moments in life' that is apparent in the lives of the French. There is beautiful, lush, knitterly photography—closeups of unusual knitting stitches and details, along with vintage inspired interiors and stunning scenery."  —YARN: The Australian Magazine for Knitting and More



"Gorgeous patterns."  —Blogcritics.org



"This is an amazing book to add to your knitting library especially if you love cute little sexy sweaters. There are also a few in here that I would consider great first-time sweaters."  —Knitty.com


"First Reaction: Ooh la la . . . Classic shapes, but with extra design elements, like lace gussets, or ribbing to provide shape; an unexpected cable, creative closures, or knit-in color work to accent an edge."  —KnittingScholar.com

About the Author

Kristeen Griffin-Grimes is the designer of the French Girl pattern line, which is sold in yarn stores across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. She lives in Seattle, Washington.

Customer Reviews

Knit patterns with that "je ne sais quoi pas"5
French Girls Knits offers what it claims are innovative techniques and romantic details. As for romantic, yes indeed. If you are looking for light, airy and fluffy, look no further. Several patterns are done up in very thin mohair mix yarns (one a linen mix) to make diaphanous garments that could be at home equally in the boudoir as on a shoulder for a summer evening. My favorite model in the entire book was "Anjou", a leaf green linen-mohair blend with a drawn-up hem and tie, short sleeves fluttering with lace. But there are also patterns featuring chunky yarns "for those that like that sort of thing, this is the sort of thing they like" to quote Miss Jean Brodie. For me, I am a fine-gauge yarn knitter, lifelong, so I like the ethereal knits, but if you want saucy cropped jackets in bulky yarn, they are here.

The book is divided into Boutique Parisienne (romantic and vintage, my fave), Enfant Sauvage (Gypsy-rustic), La Creatrice (unconventional construction--the designs are not so radical) and Dans La Rue, streetwear such as cardigans, jackets and shrugs.

There is a bit in here for everyone--the funky, chunky look for the very young, ditto the skirt (this is definitely for the stick-leg, no behind, wearing-tights daring crowd) and the idea of boudoir knits--you could wear the kid mohair long peignoir over a satin nightgown; elegance and warmth? No need to sacrifice sexiness for comfort anymore.

This book has perhaps, due to its scope, only fifty-percent patterns you'd use, but of them, they are par excellent! Not your usual knitting book, certainment!

More than just beautiful patterns5
Most buyers of this book have commented how many patterns this book has that they would knit - I definitely am the same. I am really loving the variety of designs. The photos are wonderful - I've been enjoying the close-ups of the stitches and the views of each garment. One of the best features of this book that makes it really worthwhile are the explanatory (shaded) sections that explain construction details, the background of the designer's garments, etc. Most definitely a fantastic, worthwhile book!!

Fun and Fashionable4
This is a wonderful little book with a few charms. I have a rule that I only buy a book if there is something that I have to make out of it. At least one item. This book has a few. There are some fun summer knits, chunkier fast knits, cables in very offset fashion, and everything fun flare French that you can imagine.