I cast on and started the edging (and got about 1/5 of the way done) last night.

(I will edit to add a picture when flickr gets over its hiccups. Yes, that is the error message they are giving me. Flickr has the hiccups. I wonder if this is going to mean it has to go for a massage...the other error message that sometimes comes up).

Or, heck. maybe I can remember the photo numbers and try Blogger upload.



Okay. there it is.

I took this with flash so the stitches are a bit washed out, but the color is fairly true. This is the sort-of "peplum" thing that's around the bottom of the Airy Cardigan - it's about 16 sts knit back and forth to give sort of a ribbed pattern (ribbed by rows, not by stitches). Then what you do when you've knit enough of this thing, is pick up stitches along the top edge, and knit the body from there. It's a little different, but trying something a little different is good.

You may also see that this one has the Dreaded Provisional Crochet Cast-On. I don't know why but I always cringe a little having to do that - and then wonder what was so bad. I'm using crochet cotton here because the yarn is REALLY hairy and I wanted something that would be easy to take out.

I also pulled out my small stash of vintage Czech glass buttons. I have two different kinds of pale blue buttons (wouldn't work), a package of tan (which I was remembering as cream, and is the wrong color for this), a packet with three fancy scrollworked black buttons (not enough), the black iridescent buttons I mentioned earlier, and some little white buttons.

The white buttons are a tad smaller than what's called for (they're closer to 1/2") but the black buttons are larger (3/4").

Here they are:



(Flickr, I am happy to report, is now over its hiccups).

I prefer the white ones - at least for now. You can't easily see in that photo that they have a tiny pattern embossed on them, and the "white" is actually overlain with a clear glass that is just slightly iridescent - and is iridescent mainly in the "pinkish" shades. So I think these will be close to perfect for the sweater.

I'm glad I bought the buttons now. They were kind of expensive at the time but I kept telling myself, "But they're vintage and you will probably never find them again and besides do you want to think of some PERSON buying them and maybe breaking the backs off and gluing them onto a birdbath or some-dang-thing and denying their True Button Nature? It is your duty to buy these and to gently and lovingly use them as buttons on one of your handmade garments!"