Noémie fingerless mitts
Tutu Slippers
Gabrielle fingerless gloves

The wind is blowing all of my maple tree leaves into the yard. The sun is out, though, so that makes it better, and I'm trying to think of raking as an exercise activity! Positive thinking is hard sometimes.

My hands and feet get cold during the winter, even when I'm inside. I got out the fingerless mitts last week in anticipation of the cooler weather, and I think I might need them today! My slipper socks are lifesavers, too.

I knitted my mitts and slipper socks last year. I especially love knitting fingerless mitts—they're fast and functional. Double bonus. French Girl Knits Accessories has some beautiful mitts, and slippers, too! Here's author Kristeen Griffin-Grimes to tell you more:

French Girl Mitts and Slippers

Hand and foot coverings have their roots in the deepest corners of human history, from recently unearthed Bronze Age crude leather-laced slippers to the heavily decorated leggings and moccasins of the world's native peoples. The makers of the past excelled at taking something completely utilitarian and creating a thing of beauty, each stitch embedded with their cultural DNA. Thankfully, much remains for us to marvel at and learn from. Witness the artistry of Sami mittens from Upper Scandinavia, Mongol herdsmen's appliquéd leather boots, or North American Plains tribeswomen's intricately beaded gloves for a glimpse of this rich legacy.

Much of what I create springs from inspiration as varied as pre-1950 French haute couture to indigenous motifs, so for these fingerless gloves and slippers, you will find these design elements blended and reimagined in fanciful ways.

Peeking into a Victorian lady's boudoir, I mused on what her lacy finely worked day gloves would become when combined with sturdy, yet silky, Italian linen yarn—the Noémie fingerless mitaines were the result. These easily translate to Goth-black silk or cozy cashmere with completely distinct results.

I would be remiss if mention were not made of French and Russian ballet's contribution to the world of knitting design. The Tutu slippers are a very deep bow to ballet's invaluable resource of design genius—the artful costumes and sets that graced everything from the Nijinsky's Ballet Russe to Christian Lacroix's modern take on La Source could enthrall one for hours. To keep your toes properly adorned, I chose a lively persimmon color for my modern Mary Jane ballet slippers to liven up those lengthy winter nights.

The Gabrielle fingerless gloves have echoes of finely detailed Norwegian Selbu mittens with their crisp black-and-white imprint. It is no wonder this chromatic duo was taken up by Madame Chanel as the cornerstone of her design cosmos. I couldn't resist adding some cheeky oversized vintage buttons as faux closures to these easy mitts and tell myself Coco might have done the same.

The projects in this section offer a wonderful way to raid your stash or explore a new luxurious yarn . . . have a lovely time doing so!

—Kristeen Griffin-Grimes, French Girl Knits Accessories

Now's the time to cast on knitted accessories, and French Girl Knits Accessories has so many cute designs! Download the eBook today and get started!

Cheers,

P.S. What's your favorite knitted accessory to wear indoors? Leave a comment below and let us know!

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