Buttons, Buttons, & more Vintage Buttons

 

 



I've mentioned before in previous posts that my favorite source for finding buttons for my sweaters and sewing projects is my grandmothers button tin.  I love sifting through the little treasures.  There's a comfort in letting them flow and fall through my fingers.  I could spend hours looking at, sorting, and touching them (is that weird?).  After years of sifting, the pickings are starting to get pretty slim. Don't get me wrong, there are still many treasures that I will one day find the perfect use for, but finding multiples (especially enough for sweaters) is getting harder and harder.

 

More and more of what I'm seeing are these remnants of the 'make do and mend' era.  Each of these tiny buttons has been salvaged from other garments.  My grandmother was a 'waste not, want not' kind of gal and that effected every area of her life, not just her bottom tin. 

I've done a great job using what buttons I can from the bin for as many sweaters and projects as possible.  The buttons in the center of my flower brooches are a great way to use up those fabulous single bottoms.

Check out all these sweaters who's finishing touches came from my grandmother.

When I button these sweaters around me, I feel my grandmother keeping me warm and secure.  Hmm, is that weird?  Well, anyways.  I've darn near depleted my resources.  It was finally time to replenish my stash.  Adding brand new buttons to my vintage button tin some how seems wrong.  Yes, I buy new buttons.  I won't deny that, many of my sweaters have wonderful new buttons.  However, I just can't taint the purity of my old button tin with new buttons.  I keep new buttons in another box, which I envision will be somebody else vintage button tin in 50 or more years.  In order to replenish my stash adequately, I headed to one of my favorite antique stores Lady Lee's Bath House Emporium.  With over 20 vendors, there is something for everyone, the inventory is always changing and the prices are usually competitive.  I had to put blinders on my eyes and just focus on buttons for fear of going WAY over my budget.  Here are some of the treasures I found.

I was completely surprised at some of the prices on these.  I darn near paid the original prices printed on the cards.  I've never used these cover button kits because frankly they are just too darn expensive these days, practically a dollar a button.  But I got all the ones in the bottom, left picture for $1.50, less than the original asking price.  Now that's an awesome deal.  I didn't get quite as good prices on these ones below.  But I just had to have them.  I simply couldn't leave them behind.

I think these are some of my favorites.  Tiny little tulips, how adorable and uplifting are those.  How can those not make you smile?  And pearls, I mean PEARLS.  Of course I love the pearls, hell my blog has pearls in the title.  I shouldn't have to say any more, but check out those button covers.  How awesome are they.  I love the idea of being able to change the look of a sweater by changing the buttons easily.  Button covers do that.  I only wish that there were more of them.  I'm not complaining though, 4 will do quite nicely. 

So, what's your favorite thing to hunt for when antiquing?  Did your grandmother have a button bin?  In my head, they all did. 

Oh, in case you missed it.  I recently wrote a guest post for Jessica at Chronically Vintage.  She's out of town right now on a holiday.  I mentioned it in a recent post.  The article is Knitting Trends of the 1940's.  I had such a great time researching and writing this article.  I find it fascinating the history of knitting and how this craft is woven (literally) in to history and fashion.  If you haven't checked it out yet, please go take a read.  I hope you enjoy.

XOXO,
Cherry

WIP Wednesday - Novelty Brooches and My Favorite Fall Sweater

I'm still working on my Marion cardigan for the KAL, but every now and then I need a break.  Instead of casting on another big project and bouncing back and forth, I decided to make some lovely brooches.  I don't know what it is about fall that makes me prefer brooches to hair flowers and bracelets.  Bangles don't usually fit well with my fall cardigans and most hair flowers are just so summery that for me they seem out of place.  So instead of hair flowers, I've been making these little knit and felted flower brooches.  Here's another one all done, paired with my Que Sera cardigan

I first knit each of the pedals and 2 leaves with 100% wool yarn (total stash buster).  Then got out my washboard and hand felt them in my kitchen sink.  Here are a few more that are drying.  I hope to sew them together and get the backs on them tomorrow.

As you can see, I'm working on a rose pattern as well.  As I tweak the patterns each time, I hope to share the patterns with you in the future. 

Not only does fall inspire a whole new collection of accessories, it's time for those thicker sweaters to come out of the closet.  My go-to sweater this week, making in my favorite fall sweater, has been my Ginny cardigan, first featured in my blog post It's a Hoot.  I tried to put it on once or twice this summer, but it was just too warm.  Now that the weather is cooling down, it is perfect to put on over a summer dress.  I'm not ready to give up the dresses just yet.

 

We made another trip to the botanical gardens this week, and even though most of the flowers have lost their blooms, we were not disappointed.  I was completely in awe at the autumn beauty of the trees.

Seriously, check out these leaves behind me.  How gorgeous is that?

It was such a lovely afternoon, spent walking along the paths.  Taking in the beauty of the changing seasons really helps me appreciate this time of year.  I often feel a depression in September, saying goodbye to our summers and the impending long, harsh Alaska winters.  I've found it very helpful to embrace our autumn, here in the interior, no matter how short it is.  Ours is coming to a close, as others are just getting started.  I hear the first flutters of snow have already been spotted in the hills.  My fingers are crossed that it doesn't stick for at least a little bit longer.

 

In the evening, the temperature dropped considerably, but thanks to my cozy sweater and a campfire, I was still toasty warm (I can't believe how warm this sweater is) The lipstick came off and the hiking boots came on, much better for enjoying an evening around the fire.  Really, lipstick and s'mores don't mix, ask me how I know.  This may be the last campfire of the year and I can't thing of a better person to share it with.

I love that even though our styles are totally different, we are both wearing dresses/skirts, knit sweaters, leggings and boots.

I'm so thankful that even though my closest and dearest friend lives 7 hours away, I still am able to see her once a month.  She also helps to take the fall blues away. 

 

So, I'm curious.  Do you have a favorite fall sweater, or outfit maybe?  Do your accessories change as the seasons change?  Am I the only one who tends to mourn the loss of summer, rather than embrace fall and the changing of seasons? 

 

Until we meet again, enjoy it while it lasts.  The snow is just around the corner.

 

XOXO

Cherry

 

Outfit details

Dress - thrifted
Sweater - made by me

Brooch - made by me

Saddle Shoes - Journeys

Earrings - Burlington Coat Factory

Tights - Walmart
Hiking boots - Borrowed from my best friends dad (very glad he has smallish feet)

The Myrna Cardigan

 

The latest cardigan to fly off my needles it the Myrna Cardigan, yet another wonderful pattern by Andi Satterlund.  I think its safe to say that I have become completely obsessed with her patterns.  This is the 5th pattern I have knit of hers, and the 6th is on the needles now.  Plus, there are 3 more that I'm dying to knit.  I've had some other knitting projects jump to the front of the line (more on that soon) so those other Andi patterns will have to wait. 

 

This project all started with the dress.  I found this lovely little dress at a thrift shop.  The fabric is a cotton blend with cream, green, and a touch of pink stripes with a metallic gold over tone.  It's so summery and comfortable.  My absolute favorite part is those huge pockets.  I love a dress with pockets and spend most of the day with my hands in them swing them back and forth like a little girl.  Considering our summer was winding down to a close (and its' been a cold summer) I knew I needed to make a cardigan specifically for this dress.  I have had this strong compulsion lately to knit sweaters with specific garments in mind.  I wore this dress out to a friends to share some knitting knowledge, tips and tricks with her.  When I was leaving she slipped me a $20 bill and told me to take it to the yarn store.  How could I say no?  I already knew that I needed a sweater for this dress and I had the pattern, the only thing left was the yarn.  I had so much fun in the yarn store picking up all the yarn and holding it up to my dress.  I had plenty of help from the shop owner and other patrons.  Collectively, we all decide on Cascade Yarns Pacific in Spring Green.  You can find this yarn on Amazon.  It is a worsted weight, 60% Superwash Merino Wool/60% Acrylic blend.  This is a relatively inexpensive yarn that is very durable.  A great yarn for sweaters. There is little to no elasticity to this yarn so it may not be the best yarn if you are planning on having a lot of negative ease in your knit. 



 

What really caught my eye and made me want to knit this pattern is this wonderful little keyhole detail on the back.  Really, how cute is that?  I totally love that a tiny bit of my lotus tattoo is playing peek-a-boo with the world.  I also love these slightly poufy sleeves.  They give a wonderful 1950's feel to the sweater.  This feature will also make it comfortable to wear over blouses.  So many of my cardigans have fitted sleeves and I've realized that they fit wonderfully over tank tops, t-shirts and sleeveless blouses, but as soon a I put on a regular blouse, the sleeves fit uncomfortable and unflatteringly under the cardigans.  Yuck, who wants that?  So, I'm happy to be able to wear this with my blouses.

 

I did learn a few things by making this sweater.  I did not pay attention to ease for this sweater and ended up making the size that gave me zero ease.  That means the sweater does not cling to me (even where I would like it to).  I knew that due to my yarn choice, I couldn't give it too much stretch, but I overcompensate.  Therefore my end result is a bit slouchy.  I've also come to realize that even though Andi's patterns are absolutely fabulous at body (chest) shaping, and my chest measurement is always in the size list, my chest measurement is not of the norm.  More than your average gal, the majority of my chest measurement is in the front.  I am all boob.  When I need to special order my bra's online I should realize that my chest measurements are not like the average gal.  No wonder I've never had any luck sewing tops.  Thankfully a friend of mine made a suggestion I had never thought of.  She suggested that I go down a size for the back of the sweaters, and do the suggested size for the fronts.  HOLY HAND KNITS!!! What a brilliant idea.  It makes so much sense.  Now too damn bad I've already done the back on my next sweater, I'm going to have to wait awhile to try this theory out.  I also think this will help with the issue of my narrow shoulders any why a lot of my sweaters seem to slip off my shoulders and drive me absolutely bat crap nutty.

 

Am I the only one with bizarre fitting issue?  Do you have any areas of your body that give you consistent fitting issues, how have you learned to work with then?  I'm always looking for tips or idea.

 



 I've been very sad lately to say good bye to summer.  For the most part, here in Alaska our fall/autumn consists of about 2 weeks in which the temperature drops considerably, the leaves on the trees turn beautiful colors and almost immediately fall to the ground.  We all scramble around to get the leaves raked, our cars and homes re-winterized, and dig out all our winter gear from the depths of the basement or closets hopefully all before that first snow hits.  Fall can sometimes feel like the slow, painful decent into the frigid depths of winter.  I sometimes forget to embrace the beauty of it all.  Well, I'm thankful to say that this last week has been beautiful and I've been able go get out and enjoy it as much as possible. 

 

These photos were taken at Holm Town Nursery.  Although the nursery is no longer filled to the ceiling with flowers, vegetables and other lovely greenery, it is still a delightful place to visit.  We got a coffee and soup from their café and had good enough weather to sit out side while we ate, chatted and knit for a while.  Thank you so much to my friend Barbra for a delightful outing and an extra thank you for being my photographer for the day.

 

How is everyone else enjoying fall?  I fear ours is almost over as most others is just starting.  However, I'm going to enjoy every second I can of it. 

 

Until next time, go take a walk.  Get out and enjoy the leaves changing.

 

XOXO,

Cherry



WIP-Wednesday, Week 1 of the Marion Cardigan

 

 

In the week between finishing my Myrna Cardigan (pictured above) and casting on the Marion Cardigan for the KAL I experienced some intense knitting ADHD.  Not having a main project to work on leaves my creativity in chaos.  I finished two other small WIPS that had been on the needles since last winter.  I started no less than 6 other small projects, 3 of which have now been unraveled only because my brain was moving faster than my fingers. 

 

After a week of my creativity seeming to unravel faster than cheap, drug store, acrylic yarn finally casting on this project was cathartic.  As I started working those first rows, feeling the yarn and needle combination flow through my fingers a calm serenity washed over me.  The tension in my belly subsided as all was made right in my creative world. 

 

Cupcake, cheering me on.

 

A dear friend of mine is participating in the KAL.  At our weekly knit night last week, we discussed the pattern and showed off our progress.  On day one, she had more than twice as much done as I had.  Oh, the competitive person inside me was furious.  I so wanted to say "Challenge Accepted!!". After a few blood pumping moments I realized that 1) I like to sleep and turning this into a contest would mean I didn't sleep for 3 days while a cranked this puppy out, and 2) I enjoy Knit-A-Longs, so why would I want to be done with it so quickly.  After I realized that, I am enjoying working on this even more.  No rush, no pressure.

 



The cable pattern along the edge is unusual.  I'm still undecided weather I like it or not.  I'm leaving the final judgment till the sweater is finished and blocked.  On the bright side, this yarn is knitting up beautifully.  The subtle color variation of the Worsted Malabrigo is delightful.  My only warning; Do not try to knit it just after putting lotion on your hands!!  If you must use lotion, be prepared to wait a good 30 minutes until this yarn is willing to slide along your skin, rather than sticking to it like Velcro.

 



Look, Mom I can help with pictures.



 

Does any one else experience creative ADHD?  When I don't have a main project to focus on, I find it difficult to focus on all the random ideas that bombard my brain.  Do you have a way of regaining focus or organizing the chaos.  I did manage to write down some of the ideas for future projects and am working on another simple pattern.  So some good has come from the chaos, maybe I should allow it to occurs occasionally.  Maybe not all chaos is bad?

 

XOXO

Cherry

 

 

Vintage Inspired Knitted Head Wrap

 

A Few weeks ago, I had wrote about needing to find an simple, but interesting pattern that I could work on those evenings when I am enjoying a glass (or 3) of wine.  It was my need for a drunk knitting project.  Someone asked me to share the pattern, so here goes. 

 

This head wrap is made from a basic knitted triangle that is then folded and sewn together to create the shape.  Like when you are tying  a bandana around your head, there are folds of fabric that must be tucked in.  The same is true for this head wrap, as I wanted it to have the same feel as a bandana only in knitted form.  The green one in the top pic has a little bow on the top.  I do not include instructions for the bow.  I recommend doing  the bow in  the same manor as the bow in my Bandana Bow Tie. 

 

For the green one, I used Dream in Color's sock weight yarn, this worked very well due to the amount of elasticity in the yarn.  For the turquoise one down below, I used Knit Picks' Stroll.  Although I prefer the Knit Picks for such things as sweaters and socks as the yarn holds up over time better, I prefer the Dream in Color yarn for this pattern.  It has far more elasticity and therefor works better in a pattern that needs a bit of stretch to it.  Keep this in mind when choosing your yarn.  Any fingering (sock or baby) weight yarn will do, but yarn with some stretch too it will work best.  Also, I used US sz 6 (4mm) needles.  You can us a different size needle as long as you like the fabric that it creates.  For this pattern, you keep knitting until the triangle measures the right size, so gauge is not important.  

 

To make triangle, knit as followed:

 

Make slip knot for 1st stitch.

Row 1) kfbf *(creating 3 stitches)

2) Purl all stitches

3) K1, RLI, LLI, K1, RLI, LLI, K1 (7 St)

4) Purl

5) K1, M1, K2, M1, PM, K1, K2, M1, K1 (the marker is placed before the center stitch to remind you to increase before and after that center stitch.) (11st)

6) Purl

7)K1, M1, K to marker, M1, SM, K1, M1, Knit to last St, M1, K1 (15st)

8)Purl

9) Repeat row 7

10) Knit (Up until now you've purled every even row, this row being knit creates the decorative row.  You will do this every 8th row.

Rows 11-17) Repeat rows 7&8

Row 18) Knit

 

Continue to repeated these last 8 rows increasing 4 stitches on every other row and making a knit row on the "purl side" every 8th row until the long edge of the triangle fits around your head with about 1-11/2 inches negative ease.  My head is 21 inches around, so I kept knitting until the long edge was about 19 1/2 inches. Cast off all stitches, It should look something like this.

 

 

Now flip it over and take the outer tips of the triangle and bring them up to the center point.

 

 

 

Now sew those top seams together and it'll make a funny little shaped wrap that doesn't look at all like a hat or head wrap, but it is.

 

 

That center point is the top where you would (if you want) add the bow.  You may need to lightly block it.  The green one slipped off my head WAY too easy so I lightly blocked it (used a spray bottle to wet it and let it dry) now I love the way it fits.  Although, you will need bobby pins to keep it in.  Just like with most bandanas or wraps.  The turquoise one didn't need blocking.

 

 

Here it is on my Styrofoam head with those little tips tucked in.

 

I wish I had some great pictures to show you of me modeling my hear wraps.  Unfortunately, my personal photographer (my boyfriend) has started working 2 jobs now and I hardly ever get to see him.  As much as I'd love to insist that he take endless pictures of me when he gets home at 11pm after being gone since 8am, I don't think it would be good for our relationship.  Oh well, I'll tackle him on his 1 day off a week, but that isn't for a few more days. 

 

This pattern was born out of a desire for a vintage inspired knit that was simple enough to knit while drinking.  Do you have any patterns that might fit that bill?  I have another idea for a pattern in mind as well.  It that one turns out well, I'll be sharing it with you in the future. 

 

Until next time, what ever your craft may be, find some time to enjoy it.

 

XOXO,

Cherry

 

Knitting Abbreviations:

K1 - Knit 1

M1 - Make 1 stitch (pick up the bar in between the stitches and knit into the BACK of it)

LLI - Left Leaning increase (Pick up and knit into the stitch 2 rows below on the right needle)

RLI - Right Leaning increase (Pick up and knit into the stitch below the one on the left needle)

PM - Place Marker

SM - Slip Marker

 

 





WIP Wednesday - and the Botanical Garden

This weeks WIP is not knitting related, oh wait, it is, but not like you'd think. I have no half done knit pictures to show you right now. This week's project is kind of a secret and not my secret to share, that is, I can't show you the half done project. It's no secret that I am obsessed with knitting, or that I have an attraction for all things vintage. This week, I am working on a guest blog post for the amazing Jessica over at Chronically Vintage. Her blog is one of my favorite vintage blogs out there. We've been communication a lot lately and I'm so honored that she has asked me to do a guest post for her while she is on her vacation later this month. Her blog is vintage centered, mine knitting, so it makes total sense that I would write about vintage knitting. I'm so excited for this opportunity, I have been working hard doing my research and trying to organize my thoughts. This is a challenging project that I am loving working on. Keep your eyes on Chronically Vintage for my take on vintage knitting trends during the 1940's.

As summer is winding to an end and the flowers start to wither, the leaves change colors and the air gets a bit crisper, I'd like to share some pictures I got earlier this summer when the pedals were still bright and the sun was still strong.

We have a lovely botanical garden here in Fairbanks. I enjoy making a trip up there at least once a year. Although two times is ideal, as different flowers bloom through out the summer. It has a nice little winding path weaving in and out of trees, flowers, and a clear little stream.

You know I just had to take my shoes off and dip my toes into the water. What a refreshing experience. I think that was the only moment all summer that I have truly felt like it was summer.

Look at this cute little guy. The whole area was rustling with small wildlife reminding us to tread lightly.

Being surrounded by all theses stunning flowers really reminded me how much I love colors. For many years my color pallet was very limited, it has only been in the last year that I have worked hard to get more colors into my wardrobe and daily life. Yet still, at times, I feel intimidated by colors and shy away from bright or intense hues. Flowers are a wonderful reminder of how colors and textures make us feel.

How do flowers make you feel? Have you been to the botanical gardens in your area? Ok, just one more picture, because I am in love with the blue.

Until next time, enjoy every last moment of summer that you can.

Cherry



Being

On Your Mark, Get Set....

This week I'm gearing up to start a new the Knit-A-Long for the Marion Cardigan. This is another wonderful vintage inspired cardigan by the incredibly talented Andi Satterlund of Untangling Knots. Not only is she hosting the knit-a-long on her Ravelry group, but she has also giving a discount on the pattern if you buy it before the KAL starts on September 10th. You can get the pattern at either of the links above, use discount code MARIONKAL14 if you want to join in the fun.

image source
In preparation for the KAL I have been working on the ever dreaded gauge swatch, or swatches as the case may be. There was a time, early in my knitting life that I didn't do gauge swatches. Even after my first sweater that was supposed to fall at the hips ended up almost at my knees. I refused the idea that gauge swatches were necessary. It took multiple, massive failures to figure out that I am a loose knitter. I routinely have to go down a needle size or two in order to stop my sweaters from looking like they would fit Gumby better than me. I attribute this to the truth that knitting is relaxing for me. When I knit, I relax and so does the yarn between my fingers, resulting in a loose, relaxed knit stitch. This is not a bad thing, but when it comes to knitting patterns, it can cause some problems. Luckily I have done well either changing my needle size or yarn in order to make up for my differences. What if that isn't enough? What if, no matter how you tweak it, it still doesn't come out right? Well, thankfully Andi Satterlund has addressed this issue in her most recent post on gauge. I already knew that I often have to omit rows during my knitting, but I had no idea that there was actually a mathematical formula for it.

Even thought I know that I need to do gauge swatches, it doesn't make me hate it any less. It's so boring and I despise wasting the time and yarn. On the bright side, this yarn is absolutely heavenly. This Malabrigo yarn is a 1-ply, worsted weight, dream. Made from 100% merino wool, it's texture is that of fluffy velvet. Even those tedious gauge swatches were a pleasure to knit. I am anxiously awaiting the start of the KAL so that I can continue knitting with this delightful yarn.

I don't usually do more that 1 or 2 posts on any knitting project, but you can expect to see a few on this knit as it is part of a KAL and I enjoy those immensely. I also plan on sewing a skirt out of the fabric that is in the background of the photos. What do you guys think? Will they go together well?

Do you guys enjoy Knit-A-Longs or other Craft-A-Longs? Do you like being a part of creative groups? Do you find them as motivating as I do?

Cherry

WIP Wednesday - and why my Grandma is the craziest knitter I know

Take a look at this weeks Work In Progress. Soak that in for a minute. This is my newest WIP to work on. Yes, newest. That's because I have been given the daunting task of finishing this blanket. I have been given the Mother of all knitting projects, or rather the Grandmother of all knitting projects.

My Aunt Merry called me last week and asked me if I could come out to her house and take a look at some projects that my Grandma hadn't finished before she passed away in 1999. What a wonderful idea. I love the thought of being close to my Grandma again. I already feel very connected to her any time my knitting needles are in my hand. The idea of finishing her projects seems more special than I can even put in to words. I was excited as I drove out to my aunts house. I had no idea what was in store, no idea the magnitude of these projects.

I knew my Grandmother was a crazy ass knitter. I remember her knitting throws for the couches and afghans that were folded up at the ends of all the beds, but this is truly crazy. This is a whole new level of knitted blanket. With 510 stitches across and already 522 rows, in the end this will be a queen size bed spread. Oh, and those 510 stitches are held on 32in circular needle. That's a TON of stitches in a very small space. I will have to change the needles out before I start working. The metal needles my Grandma used are hell on my hands, never mind the horrible acrylic yarn.

We believe that she started this blanket around 1990, 9 years before she passed. I can't even imagine working on something for 9 years. I can't say exactly what the pattern is or where she got it from. However, I did find a dishcloth pattern on Ravelry.com called Ballband Dishcloth that seems to be the same.

My Grandmother, Marion Rose, didn't just knit blankets, she also knit sweaters. Here's a picture of my Grandmother with all my aunts, showing off there hand knit sweaters. Aren't they just beautiful? My Mother is on the far right, everyone says I look just like her. What do you guys think?

Born in 1933, I had imagined my Grandma as a little girl learning to knit in order to help the war effort. This was not the case. Up until my Grandma was in her 30's, our family had all been seamstresses and quilters. This was how they clothed our family, not with knitting. I have to admit, it is much faster. It wasn't until roughly 1960 that my grandma picked up the needles. The term "never not knitting" could have been coined after my Grandma. In between raising 4 kids and working a full time job, she managed to crank out sweater after sweater and more blankets than any family could actually need.

Here she is in 1950, this was her "engagement" photo. I am so in love with this picture.

Last night, when I was talking to my Mom about writing this post, she told me to "Be nice" when talking about how crazy Grandma was. She said "you know she's on your shoulder whenever you are knitting" Well, I sure hope that is true. I'm going to need some Devine intervention in order to finish this.

So, are your crafts inspired by family? Is there anything you do in your life that makes you feel connected to your family's past? Would you take on the task of finishing something that someone else started? This may be a crazy project, but I'm just crazy enough to do it.

Cherry

Making Changes

I'm making some changes here. After a lot of thought, I am tweaking the name of my blog. It has been very hard for me to coordinate all of my different accounts because my ideal name in not available. I have found a new one that I believe will work for me. Please be patient while I make all the changes and understand that some of my old links will not work for a while. I hope to have this fixed soon.

I am currently working my bloglovin' account. If you are not familiar with bloglovin, check it out. It is a great way to organize and follow all your favorite blogs.

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