none of the above

Last night I pulled out a knitting project that I had set aside in the late fall before Christmas knitting tendonitis set-in, before I slipped on my butt twisting my left arm in the icy courthouse parking lot during jury duty where you're not allowed to bring knitting needles! (I just had to get the slipped-on-my-butt part in some post.)

Inspite of my numerous handicaps I finished knitting the collar and armhole ribbing on the vest project, unaware that I might be bringing on an early Spring with it's completion. As I sat at my desk this morning I discovered yesterday's Yarn Harlot calendar page---



Too funny! Can it be?

Maybe this poor wool, this blazing amazing, amber Manos wool is finally a garment (and will bring an early spring?). It has already had another brief life as a boxy sweater. Though I really like the idea of boxy garments, I hated the way it fit after I labored over it one long winter, ripping and knitting to get it to it's ultimate undesirable state. Blocking would have prevented some of the unnecessary modifications I made to it in an effort to make it fit better---look better, but I hadn't discovered the benefits of blocking wool yet.

I couldn't stand the thought of all that expensive yarn sitting there in the closet in an unwearable form for another winter, so I ripped it out, washed the crimped strands and let it dry in hanks. Determined to bend it to my will, I cast on another boxy garment inspired by a fellow Ravelry knitter's modification to Sally Melville's Einstein coat. As I knit along on it I realized the button holes per the instructions would not be big enough for my large wool buttons, but I continued along in denial, until this morning.



I pulled out my inventory of wool buttons to see which set would win a place on the not-so-bad vest. Surprise!!!









None of the above! All the wool buttons looked great with the vest but are disqualified by their size. The silk embroidered buttons would not hold up to the wear and tear of an everyday garment, but did fit the too small buttonholes.

Not to worry, I immediately got an inspiration for a new wool button form that will work with small button holes! To be continued...

Okay, so maybe I can't bring an early spring on by knitting, but finally I love this yarn in it's new form and I'm adding a new button technique to my repertoire.