This is Frenchy by POISON GRRLS. It is the first vintage-style pattern I’ve knitted by this designer and I really enjoyed how well her design is written. When knitting on a big trip it is important to bring a project with clear instructions so that you aren’t tearing your hair out trying to understand the short rows on the sleeve while also counting your luggage and making sure you didn’t drop your needles under the seat! This top has huge, puffed sleeves and is part of my Snow White-inspired Capsule collection that I’ve been making to empower myself to get out there in the world again after the Pandemic. Traveling abroad was obviously a big fear and I did come home with a really terrible cold that I’ve been dealing with for about 14 days now. Still, being able to work on my Snow White pieces while facing the unknown gave me courage to poke my nose out into the world again! You may recognize the Bousta Beanie by Gudrun Johnston which I also knitted for some protective headgear while I was traveling in Madrid! (Yarns used for the hat were Biches et Bûches le gros lambswool in grey, and Rauma Vandre pink and vanilla.)
As you can see from this side view, there is a LOT of puffed sleeve action going on in this top and I’m all for it! This seems to be the decade of interesting sleeves. I am also tempted to knit a long-sleeved black puffed shoulder top for everyday wear using some Rowan calmer cotton from my stash later on, but we’ll see. I am trying to only knit items that I know will get a ton of wear, and perhaps this top fills that niche. I have already worn Frenchy a lot and find it really fun!
How many of us were imprinted by this image in our young years? There is something very endearing about it. And look at those crazy sleeves!! What do you think, does this capture a similar style?
I admit there were moments on airplanes or buses or in large crowds that I clutched my Frenchy knitting project pretty tightly and encouraged myself to move forward, comforted by the soft feeling of the silk/merino blend in my hands. As a tutor who helps teens with Spanish language as well as Ancient and Medieval history, it was extremely rewarding for me to venture out into the Madrid bookstores or Museums in Toledo that housed the materials I was seeking for my summer program, and I was very glad I could take my knitting hobby along to empower me! It is amazing what a lifeline knitting has become, especially since the pandemic began. I am also starting to really feel encouraged by my fledgling sewing skills to have more confidence. I was always surrounded by women who could sew in my childhood, they just didn't have the time or interest to teach us young folk, so I've taken the learning into my own hands. Funny how, for me, learning how to make clothing by hand feels like such a fundamental skill to becoming an accomplished woman. I just had no idea of how much comfort and joy it would also bring until now!
The yarn Frenchy is knitted in is Killington by Miss Babs and it does produce a lustrous, soft and beautifully draping fabric! While I may not have been encountered any forest creatures while knitting my Snow White top, I did find some wonderful indigenous Spanish yarns made from Merino sheep living in the Castillo or Estremadura regions of Spain. I will be sharing another blog post in a few days about those yarns. Happy Knitting Everyone!