Friday, February 17, 2006

Day Seven? Eight? I've Lost Track

I'm still on schedule, but I've definitely lost my pep.

That's the back--almost finished, and the two fronts, one blocked, one not. (The toys are there to hold down the curling edges.)

True confession: on day five I cracked. I cast on a new project. Just a cast on, just a minor indiscretion. Here it is, cloaked in mystery:

That's 375 stitches crammed on that needle, to give you a big hint. I haven't touched it since, and it is taunting me from the sidelines.

Now to distract us, let's talk about buttons.

I am lucky to have a wide range of button sources near me. Only one of which I want to drag three kids to, that would be Em's Button Emporium:


(Keep in mind, I have been collecting for 20 years.)

If I have no luck there, I also have 2 yarn shops and a Joann's Superstore within 10 minutes.

Yesterday I found an exact match for this smokey aqua color:

They had 6, and the pattern calls for 7, but they were so perfect I bought them anyway. I will either do 6 or run around to one of the other 3 Joann's within an hour of me to find another card.

Here are a few tips for choosing buttons that I learned in the garment industry:

-An odd number is more pleasing to the eye.

-If you can't find an exact match, bigger is usually better than smaller, darker better than lighter, duller better than brighter.

-Sometimes a slightly off shade of button will make the garment look expensive.

-Always look at the back side of the buttons, sometimes they will be a slightly different color, or nicer texture.


I use that last tip most often. I probably use the "wrong" side of buttons more often that the "right" side. They often look a little fresher or more ususual. Above you can see the 2 top buttons are the right side and the two flat buttons on the bottom are the wrong side. I think I'll use the wrong side on this sweater, but I'll make a final decision after I knit the button band.

How is everyone else's Olympic knitting coming along?

6 Comments:

Blogger Anna Lear said...

I love buttons, too -- have quite a fetish, in fact, and it's a good thing I'm far from button shops. except the Internet ones... great tips about using buttons; I'm currently stumped on buttons for a B/W knit cardigan for my 3+ year old son, but I'll go back to my stash with your tips in mind. My olypic progress (my chosen olympian feat: finish ALL UFOs): two UFOs done, one (said cardigan) almost done, another one 90% done. your cardigan is looking great, BTW!

3:22 PM  
Blogger Katy said...

I am in awe of your progress. Unless I successfully manage to warp the time/space continuum, I will never be able to knit that quickly! And it looks great to boot!

4:21 PM  
Blogger Franklin said...

I am absolutely floored at how much you have finished. And it's gorgeous! Keep going, keep going! I'm done making the medal and I promise it will look very pretty on your blog.

4:42 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I love the sweater and can't wait to see it finished. I agree about the buttons too. I often use the back. Keep up the sweater work, you're so close!

2:59 AM  
Blogger Diane Doran said...

Emily, your sweater looks great! Thanks for the button tips. I'm trying to maintain speed on my Sitcom Chic. I think I'll make it.

8:24 AM  
Blogger Earl3d said...

That secret thing isn't a Clapotis is it? My second guess: Charlotte #2

7:13 PM  

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