My Dad Always Said...

My dad has a lot of sayings - some will crack you up and some ring true. One he used a lot while we were growing up was "If you are going to do a job half-assed, then don't do it at all". Sort of along the lines of "do it once, do it right".

When I knit my Noisette this summer I just sewed on the buttons willy-nilly with the yarn I used to knit the sweater. I knew that wasn't the right way to do it but I was lazy and just wanted to get it done.

Well, in the end my laziness ended up getting the better of me...the buttons started stretching and pulling and I stopped wearing the sweater. Then I got to thinking about how the Knitmore Girls are always talking about the grosgrain buttonband method they use on their sweaters so I checked out their tutorial and their other tutorial for sewing on buttons.

I recently discovered a website called The Ribbon Retreat and I ordered a bunch of different ribbons and settled on using a matching fun one with little squirrels which really surprises me as my dad always called them "tree rats" (yup, another on of his phrases - other ones are far more colorful).

We had a snowy day today and I got to work - here is the result. I'm SO happy with how it turned out. The buttons have more stability now and I know the stretching of the yarn sewn buttons won't happen.














Isn't this just the cutest ribbon? I even have a turtleneck that matches the fuschia colored squirrel. I know I will be wearing this a lot more and while not everyone will see my button band I know it is there and just the thought of it will make me smile.

Thanks Dad for reminding me without realizing it that I shouldn't do a job "half-assed".