Buttons, Part Two

Thanks for returning for part two of the button info! I hope I've passed on something to liven up your knitting and crocheting (because these ideas could work for either one). Let me know if you have more to share on this topic. We all need new techniques in our repertoire!

First up--you probably remember these two little guys from previous posts. The one in back is made with Schaefer Lola and the one in front, with Mission Falls 136. Both yarns are discontinued, but if you do a search I know you can find some. Both these cardigans have the buttons attached the somewhat traditional way. The crew neck one follows the pattern (soon to be released Figheadh Fundamental Baby Cardigan) and has the button band being worked and buttons attached before working the buttonhole band. This way, the holes are worked to match the already-affixed buttons. The V-neck cardi had buttonholes on both bands with one set of holes closed as the buttons were attached.

On these two bulky yarn samples, however, I tried a couple of different methods. If you've been following along, you will see that I traded out the original green buttons most of us agreed on with some that are a little more bright and a little bigger. The other ones were getting lost in all that Brown Sheep Lanaloft Bulky goodness.
The crew neck version has the buttons attached to a ribbon strip, as I showed you in yesterday's post, but this time I whip-stitched the ribbon to the band. On the V-neck version, I took some advice from Susanna Pfeffer again from reading her article in a VK Fall/Winter 1986 article. This was an experiment, so please excuse the messiness--you can see the stretchy cord ends poking out everywhere. Why? Because I made little "cuff links" with two sets of buttons, joining them with some stretchy bands and some stretchy jelly cord like you would use for making jewelry. A better way to join the two buttons would be to use wax dental floss (suggested also by Pfeffer) or even some elastic cord. Good luck with the elastic cord, however. I could only find it in the exciting colors of white...or black.
Here's a closeup. of course I will be dismantling these in this case and sewing the buttons on this sweater. Babies would only take them right off and eat them. Then the parents would be pacing the floor and hoping and praying for it (or them...or all!) to pass gently. And that's just no fun for anyone, now, is it?

I will try this on the next adult cardigan I knit up. I think it's a neat idea.

Share your button ideas with us. This was a fun exercise, and I'm sure there's a world of other ways to attach buttons to our yarny makings. What's your favorite way?