I have a giant button jar, as you can see. It’s so much fun to dump out the jar and sift through my button choices whenever I start or finish a button friendly project. I was discussing buttons with KT and she made some good points about the combination of knitting and buttons. She is of the opinion that the knitting should be the star of the show but I’m not sure I’m on board. I think it depends on the project. Something smaller, like a cowl, some mittens, maybe some felted slippers, can showcase an awesome button. When it comes to sweaters though, she has a point. It’s just too much work to have your knitting upstaged by a flashy button. A button should really compliment a sweater, not show it up.

Yet, among all these buttons I cannot seem to find the perfect button for these projects. They are small, so a loud button is allowed but I just don’t seem to have the perfect one in this cascade of buttons. Why is this? Every time I go to Button Button I make a purchase of the buttons I went for and I always walk out with a few treasures I have discovered. Perhaps I should have chosen the buttons first, but thinking ahead isn’t necessarily my strong suit. Anyhow, I have a small pile of goods to be adorned with buttons and a few project on the go that I can now pick out buttons for. Time for a trip to Button Button!

I suppose these patterns aren’t really that old but I thought I would give them another knit in some new yarns. It’s turning colder and I need something quick and satisfying to keep me going through my slog of Christmas knitting. I just read that sentence back and it sounds like I hate Christmas! This is not true, I love Christmas and I love knitting for Christmas. Really. Mostly. There are moments.

Anyhow, back to the scarves. I re-knit the 2×2 cable scarf and the mock cable scarf. For the mock cable I did everything exactly the same but with Luxury Alpaca Sport (a misleading name, it’s not really a sport weight yarn…..) I just added more buttons.The 4 button look gives the scarf a little more structure. It becomes a little more collar-like, which is nice.

I originally purchased these buttons for a sweater but it was not meant to be. I went to Button Button, which is definitely one of my top places to be at any given moment, to get buttons for my Dad’s Christmas sweater (are you picturing a hideously colourful fair isle sweater that is too big? That’s not what it looks like but that image jumps to mind when I hear Christmas sweater). I did not, however, make a note of how many buttons I would need or which size. I guessed it would be 6 buttons and purchased 8 just in case. It took 11 and they were much bigger than I had anticipated. While I am not saddened at the prospect of another Button Button trip, I did feel I should use these buttons wisely. I put 4 on the mock cable scarf and I feel that satisfied my quick project, buttery soft alpaca, and button needs all in one go.

The other re-knit I was working on is the 2×2 button scarf. The yarn I knit it in originally (Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Super Chunky) has been discontinued so I felt it could use a revamp. We recently received some new colours in the Blue Sky Alpacas Bulky at the shop and being a big fan of blue I picked out 2 skeins of Atlantis. I knit this scarf on 10mm needles and omitted the first and last 2 rows of the pattern.

These patterns are availble through Ravelry (Mock Cable Scarf here and 2×2 Cable Scarf here) or you can order through paypal (Mock Cable Scarf here and 2×2 Cable Scarf here) and a copy of the pattern will be emailed to you.

If you can call yourself a fan of anything vintage, funky, antique-y, or ‘different’ you will know exactly what I am talking about with this button. There are always certain items we come across in our search for the most unique and cool crafting stuff that are somewhat debateable. The terms ‘funky’ and ‘vintage’ are fraught with danger. One person’s funky is another’s ugly and one person’s vintage is another person’s dated. In this free for all world of taste what is unique and cool and what is just plain odd?

My mother and I debate these items quite frequently. With slightly differing tastes (neither is better or worse, just different) we are often caught off guard by the others opinion on an item. I will hold something up in an antique store and at the same time I will say ‘awesome!’ and she will make the face that can only mean one thing: ugly. Sometimes one or the other can be convinced, but certainly not always. It all comes down to personal opinions and individual tastes.

My friend Robin and my Aunt Tessa are always on the cutting edge of tres chic. They knows just what will work and be cool and what is over the top or dated. I can never keep up but I am most often convinced when they tell me that something is hip. I know they are right because whenever I have second guessed them someone on the street or at a party or in a coffee shop will comment on the debateable item. Then I know I have been proven wrong, yet again!

I also find myself second guessing my own tastes. Once I am on a kick I have to think twice before purchasing, lest I end up with too many or too much. I know that an item is good if I walk away for about a week and I can’t stop thinking about it. That was the way with my debateable button.

When I first saw it at the button shop I overlooked it completely. Then Robin saw it and said ‘Wow!’. That should have been a guess that it was cutting edge cool. I walked away but I thought about that button (not obsessively, just passingly, I swear!). What would I put it on? What colors would it go well with. Should it be prominently featured in the garment? The list of questions goes on. I just didn’t know what to do about it. When I was back at the button shop I decided I could ponder the purchase no more: that button was mine!

Just when I thought I had made my decision on the button someone said “I didn’t know you were into old lady stuff”. My button-choosing confidence took a serious blow. I put away the button and didn’t give it another thought……until now. Some may like it and some may not but that makes it an interesting piece and I will walk the perilous lines of fashion! I’m planning on prominently featuring this button on a beautiful soft white Malabrigo Worsted.

My first attempt went pretty well. It was a lovely purple number made with Blue Sky Alpaca’s Worsted weight yarn. Alpaca is a delightfully warm fiber and the worsted weight comes in a variety of vibrant colors. Who wants a mousy boring scarf? A hand made scarf should be the focus of your outfit! Robin chose a cool black-and-white button with a bunny and a frog on it. It was a little out there for me but she is really the fashionable one so I differ. This pic is of the scarf with a different button. Long story.

Next I vowed I would make something for me. I used black Mirasol yarn which is made up of alpaca, wool, and silk. A delightful yarn with many different colors within the black. In the sun it has hints of blue and orange. I had some neat bird buttons kicking around from an abandoned project which I felt would work for this project too. I abandoned my original single button design to create something new with two buttons instead since I couldn’t bear to separate the two. I absolutely love this scarf! It’s warm, unique, and a little trendy.

Once I finished those two I was on a little bit of a role so I made another purple scarf (I originally bought too much yarn for Robin’s) and a pretty springy blue scarf. I don’t really need that many scarves so I put a couple up on my Etsy store. I’m so enamored of these scarves I just want to make them in every color and with all different buttons! They don’t take long and they really showcase the colors, fibers, and stitches. A perfect project for any beginner or pro.