Unraveled Wednesday: 5/4/22

I'm joining Kat and fellow Unravelers for Unraveled Wednesday, as the Antler cardigan inches slowly towards completion. 

I've reached a stopping point, but it's for a good reason. I knit the non-buttonhole button band, then picked up stitches for the buttonhole side of the button band. As I approached the buttonhole row, I thought I should decide what type of buttonhole I wanted to knit. After trying a few two and three-stitch buttonholes and having them look fairly sloppy, I decided that it might be smarter to have buttons in hand, and then I could make an educated decision about what type of buttonholes would work. I'm favoring eyelet buttonholes (yo, k2tog) now because they look the neatest and hide nicely in the purl stitches of the ribbing, but we'll see.

I paused my knitting, took a piece of deer antler out to the shop, and tried to cut a slice of the antler for a button. It worked but it would have been the thickest button you've ever seen. I cut a few more slices and finally got one that looked okay. I used the Dremel to try and drill two holes in the slice, but the slice cracked. After several more attempts, I finally had a slice of the right thickness with two holes in it. Then it was time to polish it with some fine-grit sandpaper. Ninety minutes later I had one passable button that I had spent a total of almost four hours on. I think I'll need seven buttons, so I was feeling quite discouraged. (So discouraged I couldn't even take any photos of the mess I had made.) I came in and checked antler buttons on Etsy, and within 15 minutes I had ordered a set of 10 buttons from a guy in MT for $10.95. So the sweater is on hold until I get the buttons and can decide if they will work and what type of buttonholes will be best. I was kind of disappointed with myself for not being able to produce decent-looking antler buttons, but then I remembered I didn't raise the sheep or spin the yarn myself, and there wasn't any shame in buying buttons. People do that every day! :-) I'm not a person who buttons sweaters but it seems kind of silly to knit a cardigan but not have any buttons or buttonholes on it. 

In reading, I didn't finish any books this week but have been busy adding books to my pile and dipping into them occasionally. The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki, The Winners by Fredrik Backman, Unwinding Anxiety by Judson Brewer, and of course, Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart are all on my Currently Reading shelf. I need a good rainy day so I can stay inside and actually finish some books. 

What are you making and reading this week?