Buttons

I finished several sweaters in February so decided to do a bit of experimenting with buttons.
'Way back when I started knitting the only acceptable way to put on buttons was to back the button band (and the buttonhole band) with a length of grosgrain ribbon. I quickly found out what happens to the button band when one doesn't attach the button to a firm foundation such as ribbon. For Tuckernuck I used a quick and easy variation; I backed the buttons to a piece of folded ribbon and wove a shank. A nice foundation without all the bother of attaching an entire strip of ribbon. And, of course, the shank lifts the button off the knitted fabric and makes it easier for little, as well as big, fingers to manipulate. It does the job without adding weight or bulk to a child's sweater. I was quite proud of having come up with this variation but then Lea-Anne reminded me that another friend had done the same thing some years ago. Now I feel grateful for having such clever friends and glad to have "unvented" the idea.



For Cassidy I used the more traditional trick of attaching the button through the button band to a small (in this case clear plastic) button. These buttons also have woven shanks.



For my Plymouth Tweed vest I wanted the buttons to be more organic and natural looking, like the yarn itself. I got some lovely classic leather buttons from Knitting Today and backed them with what I had always called a thread button but is apparently called a Dorset button . It's made from a ring, in this case plastic, which is wrapped with thread or yarn. I've practiced making them because I think that sometimes you want a very discrete button, something that recedes into the body of the sweater itself and will not distract from intricate cables, colorwork or twisted stitches.