August 23, 2013

Buttons are Cheap

This morning I went down to the fashion district and bought some ribbon and buttons for the layette set. That makes it sound simple, doesn't it?  What really happened is that because I live in a world of denial and still believe that it's possible to finish this set before the shower tomorrow (set now missing booties and 1.5 sleeves, we shall see) last night I searched the house for an appropriate length of ribbon and a few perfect buttons and came up short. There was nothing that went together, or if it went together,  it didn't go with the yarn, or there wasn't enough.  I decided that nothing could be done but a trip downtown to replenish the baby ribbon/button stores, so this morning I got my bike ride done early (6:30-8:30.  It was a pretty dawn) so that I could zip downtown on the subway super fast, grab buttons and ribbon and rip back.  I decided to take the subway instead of biking because I still have the aforementioned delusion that I can finish this thing if I maximize the knitting time and I can't knit and ride.

Off I went, knitting on the subway, until I got to the place where I had to switch to the streetcar.  I got off, went up, queued for the car, and waited nicely.  I only checked my watch about four times.  When it came, I got on the front doors, took a seat, reached into my bag for my knitting, noticed I had no wallet, cursed creatively, violently and silently, and then stood up, walked out the rear doors, back down the stairs, back onto the subway, all the way home, got my wallet and left again. 

I was just about incandescent with rage when I told Joe, just because I'd wasted so much time, but he pointed out that at least I'd noticed before I got off at my stop. He had a point. Without my wallet I didn't have any money to get back on, and if I'd have had to walk home from there it would have made me as nuts as if I fell out of a crazy tree and hit every branch on the way down.

I rushed as fast as I could, but by the time I was back there I was seriously short on time. I walked into the ribbon store and immediately realized I had a problem. I needed one metre of a nice ribbon that went well with cream.

Yeah. That's one corner of Mokuba Ribbons.  I've been in there before, and I'd forgotten it was such a time suck. There's so many ribbons you could stay there all day, pondering the possibilities.  I decided, since ribbon is cheap, especially the thin ribbon I need for the layette, and since I only needed a metre, to get a few kinds, and make a break for it.  I could decide at home, I told myself.  I grabbed what appealed, and sprinted down the street to one of the button stores.


This wasn't an improvement.  I stood there, clutching the ribbon in my hands, looking around me and realizing that I had made a tactical error.  Somewhere in this shop were buttons that matched my ribbon.  Somewhere. I stuffed the ribbons in my bag, and just started choosing buttons I liked.  Some of these, some of those.  Buttons are cheap, I told myself. The little ones are 5 and 10 cents. I grabbed some boxes, took them to the desk and tried not to tap my foot while the lady counted them out.

When all was said and done, I had ribbon, and I had buttons, and they all go together surprisingly well.  I don't mind that I have more than I need, I mean, obviously this is going to come up again, and it's not like I don't have a button bin and a ribbon jar, but it does leave me in a difficult place. 

Ok.  So maybe I got more than a few.  Stop judging. The problem now is which ones to pick?  Something subtle? The taupe cotton ribbon with the little buttons that look like stone? The brown satin, with the buttons that have the brown rings? Cream satin with taupe buttons?


Yellow? Or is yellow just so, so predictable.  Maybe that dirty lime that I love so much? Or, at what point does a baby own way, way too many lime green things.
Maybe something brighter, less classic, more fun and bold?



I'm sure you see my dilemma.  I don't know why I'm worried about finishing the knitting.  I'll be choosing the buttons until I'm old. 

Posted by Stephanie at August 23, 2013 4:00 PM