Wedding sweater: buttons, part deux

What do you do when your needle won't fit through your delicate button's holes? Ugh, this happens to me more often than I would like. Sometimes I search through my tapestry and sewing needles to see if I can find one that will sneak through, but then I start to worry that I won't be able to thread the yarn onto said needle. And I do worry that using sewing thread might cut through the knitted fabric. Call it paranoia.

oh, tapestry needle, why you so big?

Not too long ago, though, I realized that I could make use of my ridiculously tiny crochet hook, used to add beads to my Emily 2 shawl to snag (carefully) the yarn and pull it through the small holes on the buttons in question.

check it: 1.0mm crochet hook

Of course, this means I can't do my usual button attachment technique, which involves a long piece of yarn and weaving my way up the back of the button band to attach the buttons at regular intervals. But that's OK.

snagging that loop o' yarn and pulling it through

As you can see above, I pull a loop of yarn through the button's hole to get things started. Here's my method for each button:

1. cut piece of yarn 10-12 inches long
2. fold yarn in half
3. put hook through button's hole
4. snag folded end of yarn and pull loop through button's hole approximately one inch
5. thread loop onto tapestry needle and pull through button band to back above the button hole to be closed, then remove tapestry needle and hold loop with a free finger
6. thread tails onto tapestry needle and pull through button band to back, which also serves to close up the button hole in band
7. pull tails on tapestry needle through yarn loop
8. pull ends snug up to button to tighten loop
9. weave one tail through stitches above button anchor location on back of button band
10. weave second tail through stitches below button anchor location on back of button band

uh-oh, where's that last button?!

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen my panic about a missing button. Luckily, after turning my various project bags upside-down and inside-out, I found the little, precious thing. At the bottom of the project bag that holds the other project bags. But, yikes!

Finally, all the ends are woven in, buttons attached! All we need is a wedding...

Previous steps: 1. Yarn choice. 2. Sketching. 3. Swatches 4. Math(s) 5. WIP 6. Yoke 7. Buttons 8. Sleeve Seams 9. Weaving underarm stitches

Next step: Wedding day!

Thanks for stopping by, and happy knitting!

xoxo,