(no subject)

[pensnest]

I bought some gorgeous buttons a little while ago - they are polished and shiny ammonites in glorious browns and greys! My best friend used to be a geologist, and I have in mind knitting a cardigan for her, using these buttons. The cardi will probably be honey-coloured or something like a dull cream.

I did find a pattern for a cardi with a giant ammonite-like spiral, and I'm quite interested, but I won't have my best friend around to fit it to while I knit! Also, I'm a bit wary of turning it into a cardigan, although apparently this is a thing that can be done. And I'm having problem finding a yarn for this - ideally I'd want a cream with some variation in it, but not too much… the main drama is in the buttons, and a too-dramatic yarn would detract.

I've since been looking through Ravelry, and found some seamless designs (I hate sewing!) which I like the look of:

Roheline

Simple Cardigan #168

Persimmon

Hermine

My friend is mid-50s, about 5'3", bust probably about 40"-42". I'm looking to knit something in DK or worsted, definitely not heavier than Aran weight because the buttons are not large. I want it to be interesting, but not fiendishly complicated… (don't we all!).

My request is this: I'm not yet very experienced at figuring out what might be a good or a bad idea with regard to pattern choice! So I'm looking for advice—can you see potential problems with these patterns? Any recommendations?



(Also posted to knitting

Comments

[carolyn_claire]

Where did you buy your beautiful buttons? Are they online where we can see? I love cool buttons.

[pensnest]

I got the buttons at Fibre East, a knitting 'fair'. They come from Stealth Bunny, but the stealthbunny.co.uk website does not have anything similar on display. I'll have to take a picture at some point, certainly when I complete this fabulous garment (whenever that is...).

I bought another button, a single rather large one which is a slice of pale blue rock, possibly some kind of agate, for which I intend to construct a garment in due course. It's quite the wrong way round to do all this, but I could not have resisted those buttons, it was perfectly impossible!

[carolyn_claire]

I do that, too, buy interesting buttons and then come up with something to do with them. If they're brooch-worthy I might cut the shank off with a side-cutter and attack a pin back, or just sew them onto the, uh, brooch area of a top (that sounds funny) or onto a hat, etc. I've also made up simple blouses just to showcase pretty buttons. I have a whole ziploc bag of them I should look at doing something with, even if it's just pinning them to a pinboard and displaying them. Sounds like a good fall/winter project, actually.

[turlough]

I haven't knitted something large like that in far too many years so I don't have any good advice, I'm afraid. I really like the Roheline pattern though. Good luck finding a nice yarn and a good pattern!

[pensnest]

I must admit, I like the Roheline decorative parts very much. Ah, decisions. I have got rather bored with the interminable sweater for my nephew, so it needs to keep me interested - but on the Projects page it seems to be impossible not to knit a really nice cardi with that pattern.

[chalcopyrite]

I love the spoke cardi, and may knit it myself! It looks like it's less a matter of turning it into a cardi as it is just not sewing the last seam to make it a pullover. And there seems to be a fair amount of overlap, so it could be fitted after completion. But yeah, I understand your reservations.

Other than that one -- I very much like the Hermine - just for how it looks, didn't look closely at the pattern but there didn't seem to be any massively tricky bits? I like the Roheline, but the pattern on the yoke might distract from the buttons, is my only doubt. The pattern's very pretty, though.

The simple cardigan is lovely, and Mum wants one, but it's so very simple, I feel like it doesn't have the little bit of kick to set off awesome buttons.

Honestly I have no idea about picking patterns, I'm just going on here! And I'd also love to see a picture of the buttons at some point. :)

[watervole]

I'd go with Persimmon or Hermine.

Roheline is very pretty, but that lace neck is going to get tricky on the transition to the shoulders.

The second one warns that the collar is tricky and suitable for experienced knitters.

Hermine has a lace pattern that is interesting enough to avoid boredom, but not in a part of the pattern where it's going to make things difficult.