Spring Tonic in a Box and Sweater Psychobabble -- "I Need Closure"

Look what came in the mail yesterday:

Fresh dandelion greens from the state of Washington. Srsly.

"I assume 'tonic' is a euphemism for something, but I'm not sure what." ~ Erika

So that white under the salad bowl?  Snow.  I won't have my own dandelions for months.  (And it appears that possibly the weather gods were not happy with Erika for sending spring's greens to someone in the frozen northeast, because look what happened after she dug these and sent them to me!) Last night I had them sauteed with onions, garlic, and olive oil, with a sprinkling of lemon juice at the end, served with a roasted chicken.  Delicious! I feel toned already.  Hee.

Thanks, Erika!!!

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Sweater Psychobabble*:

The Marta sweater blocked beautifully.  It fits very nicely and is soft and I love it.  I wore it all day yesterday, and it was great.  This sweater, made in the medium size, fits me perfectly -- all the waist shaping, etc., now that it's blocked.  But keep in mind, I am quite short.  It would need to be lengthened considerably to fit an average or tall person. I love the waist shaping and the slim fit.

I'm struggling, though, to find closure*. 

If I were to do this sweater again, I'd put in a buttonhole.  I wish the pattern had one.  I just didn't know at what level to put it.  If you are going to make this sweater, (and you're the same size as me, which I realize makes this all very unscientific -- not to mention that if I were to make this sweater again, I'd want it to be longer, more tunic-length, as well) it's my opinion that a single buttonhole should be about 6 3/4 inches from the bottom. 

Then again, it could be at various other places and look good, too, depending on the clothing you're wearing it with.  I was in a real conundrum getting dressed yesterday, on the way to the button store, trying to decide at which level a button or buttons or clasp, or what-all, should go.

I'm just not a big fan of the no-closure design, even though I often wear cardigans unbuttoned.  This design needs a little SOMEthing to pull it together, or the ribs pull it all the way over near my armpits, practically.  Not a great look. 

Brooches don't work well for me with sweaters -- I'm too worried about the delicacy of the knits, and I struggle to get them on straight.  As well, I don't want to have to search for the brooch when I'm getting dressed.  Wearing various brooches or sticks or whatever can nicely change the look and tone of a garment -- this sweater could be changed from dressy to casual with just a change of brooch -- but it's too fussy for me to be bothered.  Now, one of the beauties of this design is that the front band (one can't call it a button band, now, can one?!) is incorporated into the design and knitted right in.  But that means that I can't even take it off now that I realize where I want the button to be, and add a buttonhole, which I would be tempted to do if I could. 

As often happens, the heavy stone button that looks FABULOSO with the yarn, just doesn't work with the sweater.  So I bought a whole bunch of buttons yesterday, and I also bought hooks and eyes.  I thought maybe an invisible hook-and-eye closure would work, and I sewed one on, but it gapped and pulled too much to look attractive.  So I -- hold your breath -- cut them off with a razor blade.  I ended up sewing this shell button on, and it looks great (much better in real life than it looks in the photo) but now I will have to come up with a loop on the other side.  

I don't believe this yarn, even in i-cord or lucet cord, will hold up to repeated handling on and off a button.  Tomorrow I am going to go searching for some rawhide.  I don't know how successful I will be at sewing it onto my sweater.  Eek.  In addition, having a button on one side with a loop from the other makes a just-asymmetrical-enough look to slightly annoy me. 

I think it will all look nice in the end, and I think I will wear this sweater a LOT.  I love the fit, love the yarn (it is very special -- Green Mountain Spinnery Mountain Mohair in Spice, which I purchased at my very first trip to Rhinebeck in 2004. Love it, love it, love it, and I do think this sweater is a good choice for the yarn.)

But I wish I'd put in a buttonhole.  Sigh. 

I would love to give you a modeled shot, but I don't have a patient, talented, ready knitwear photographer real handy.  Paging Cheryl!  Gale? Sandy? Cara? Anyone? Someday I'll manage one, I promise.

Comments

[Alison]

Good grief, comment spam that trawls your post and pulls phrases out? That's novel. Or maybe I'm just naive, but there's at least two companies right there that I won't be visiting any time soon.

But anyway, what I wanted to say was that if the button-and-loop asymmetry was bugging you way too much, why not buy a second button to put opposite it, over the point where the loop is sewn on? Two buttons, one loop, no asymmetry. And the sneak peak of Marta is tantalisingly beautiful, by the way.

[gayle]

Beautiful yarn, beautiful button. Now if this beautiful coffee would just jumpstart my brain, I could probably come up with a beautiful idea...

[sandy]

Fresh greens......drool...
And some drooling over Marta and the button, not over the razor trimming and definitely NOT over those first 2 commenters, which will make no sense after you delete their ass.
It occurs to me if those spammers would put their time and effort into something positive perhaps we could cure cancer by now. They seem smart.

[AnnaMarie]

Dang, Alison nailed it before I could. Two buttons, one figure eight rawhide loop. I think that would work great!

[Lisa H.]

I have no idea about the closure, but I LUV that button. Can't wait to see the final glamour shots!

[margene]

Puttons on each side and tie the rawhide around them. Oh, I just read that AnnaMarie is saying the same thing. Or you could find a metal clasp closure.

[Adelaide]

Do you know anyone who sews? They could add the button hole using a sewing machine.

[Brenda]

You could try EZ's afterthought buttonhole (which I've never tried but seems like it would work well).

[Lynn]

The answer: Elizabeth Zimmermann's afterthought buttonhole from Knitting Without Tears.

[Marilyn]

Others thought of my idea first, adding a buttonhole. Can one be steeked in??

[Amy]

Try sewing a button hole...much like Steeking!

I'm pretty sure adding a button band won't work, but it's worth considering!

[Emily]

You could get one of those giant snaps - they are size 10 I think and about the size of a quarter. Then you could just sew both pieces in with heavy duty thread. It's not as pretty as the button, but would not cause any asymmetry.

[Berta]

I may be slightly confuzzled. But then I've only had one cup of caffeine so far this morning. You mentioned that you don't often wear cardigans closed so is the actual buttoning necessary? You just need a great button. Which you have. And anyone close enough to observe that the hole is well, missing, is probably too close and will be dealt with in an appropriate manner.

[Cindy in Happy Valley]

I vote for this as a closure http://knittingasfastasican.com/ the February 12, 2009 entry. I know I'm going to find a use for it.

[marianne]

I'm leaning toward the two button idea, gorgeous button btw, and you already know how much I love those colours in the Spice!
spammers? ffs.

[claudia]

Tripod, and do it for yourself.

[Kay]

It's hard to get too enthusiastic about Spanx, as they are glorified, new & improved girdles for the girdle-free generation(s). BUT, I find them quite effective and downright necessary. I have been known to double-spanx. Yes. Truly, this will condense the flank and tummy area. That spring in your step? It's double-walled spandex. It would be better, of course, not to need Spanx. I've forsaken that dream.

Spanx tip from The Town Shop (one of those old fashioned bra-fitting shops where a lady with a measuring tape around her neck looks at you like a piece of meat but knows eggzackly which bra for you): If they aren't almost uncomfortably tight, they're not doing anything. Go down a size.

Kay

[Mary K. in Rockport]

Others got there first, but I'm going to add my comments anyway. 1) One of those Scandinavian button thingies with a button on both sides and a sort of chain loop closure or 2) afterthought buttonholes as elucidated by EZ.

[Erika]

I'm so glad they arrived! I have been explaining to people that the snow here is All My Fault, for gloating. Sigh!

When I was digging dandelions out of the garden, I had no idea they would end up sounding so delicious!

[Cookie]

I vote for a snap.

&

You're not short. We're normal. Everyone else is just overly tall. I'm lookin' at you, Margene! :p

xo

[gale (she shoots sheep shots)]

Any time Norma!

I broke down a went Spanx for some legging (footless pantyhose)last year. Side benefit when attending long events, all that support on the bladder makes you never need to pee, I guess it holds you in, within. I'm sure that's un natural and unhealthy but so is encasing yourself in tight stretchy spandex :-)

(darn I just read Kay's comment. I find mine kind of comfy...oh well)

[Carolyn]

Wow, you're on a mission here. That button is so pretty that a button hole should be made to go with it. I look forward to seeing what your decision will be.

[Renee]

Take your sweater to someone who does alterations of a dry cleaner... they can machine sew you a botton whole in exactly the right place and size for where you sewed on the beautiful button.

[Judi]

If none of the above suggestions work for you, you might consider the kind of buttons that have a metal loop on the back and a cotter pin type of arrangement. You could use one on each side (slide the metal loop between stitches) and some kind of loop arrangement. Annnnd, that way you could change the buttons to dress up or down and also MOVE the buttons to whatever level looks best for that particular outfit.

[Judi]

Another idea just hit me. Remember the suspender type clasps that used to come on elastic bands? The idea was to clip mittens to coat sleeves. Something similar (though one would hope, more elegant) could work on your sweater. Couldn't it? I think I need to lie down - two ideas in one day is more than my system can handle.

[Tracy J.]

Ooh, so pretty - can't wait for the finished pictures! Or are they in a later post and I'm just behind? Dang, guess I better go find out...