Buttons

The choice of buttons is an interesting one. Buttons can complement a cardigan, cry out for attention all their own, fail to match, and - worst of all - fail to work.

I have a little stash of buttons that I have accumulated because whenever I'm looking for nice buttons I can't find them. It's not a huge stash; I wouldn't call it a collection. I could easily use them all up in my lifetime.

There were, for example, only 2 sets of 7/8" buttons (as required by the FLS) to choose between. Both worked with the black yarn, I think. I had a choice between cute teapots

and compelling handprints.

The teapot is a lovely geometric shape, recognizable from a distance. People will know that I'm wearing a cardigan with cute buttons even without getting too close. The sharper bits created by the spout might be a blessing in holding the pot in place, or a bastard poking between stitches and getting caught.

I was still very much on the fence regarding the teapot when the sweary one gave his two cents worth. He said that they belong on a buttoned teacosy. And he is 100% correct. I will have to do that.

So, I was fixed on the handprints. They're nice wooden buttons with this handpainted design on them. They certainly won't catch, no matter what kind of buttonhole I end up making.

The thing about the handprints is that they have (like hands themselves) chirality. There are two left hands and two right hands. I am one of those people when it comes to symmetry. The left/right thing is going to get me down; I know it.

I might use this as an opportunity to find artistic ways to arrange them.

Wouldn't that be clever?

In the right configuration, the left/right-ness of the buttons won't be distracting, even to people like me.

But then there will one left over. That's even worse. That's going to drive me nuts. One button from a set of four. It can't be done.

So, instead, I'll have to put 4 buttons on this 3-button cardigan. The instructions say to make a buttonhole and then make 2 more every 2.5". This means that the bottom buttonhole should be 5" below the top buttonhole. A little math for me ... I want 4 buttonholes evenly distributed about 5". The first buttonhole goes at 0" and the last one goes at 5", so those two in between have to go every 1-2/3", right? 0", 1-2/3", 3-1/3", 5". Yes. Alright. That little bit of math is done so I don't have to think about it any more.