NYC is all about the yarn, right? Wrong.

It is all about the buttons. I was all set to take a real fun yarn crawl while I was in NYC a week ago--I'd gathered all my possible patterns together and had been virtually shopping for weeks, but just before I left I cleaned out my knitting basket and hit my pile of swatches. For projects in progress. And realized the last thing I needed was more yarn and more projects.

Then I realized I hadn't booked my hotel on the edge of the Fashion District because I love dodging clothes racks--but because it has tons and tons of little button shops that stock buttons you can never find at Joannes or Hancocks or Pacific Fabrics. Suddenly my crawl took on a new meaning. So off I went to Sixth Avenue with swatches in hand, and discovered that a lot of the button stores that I've haunted for years have forsaken their lot in life and gone over to beads. Beads! "I don't need beads, I need buttons," I found myself muttering, that is until I rounded a corner and spotted one my favorite places to find buttons, MJ Trimming.

This place is like funky, unusual, cool sewing heaven. Trims, buttons, rhinestones, and accessories rise on the shelves in a panoply of choices. I found these red buttons right off for the Wicked cardigan I am making with the yarn I picked up at Madrona last year. I've since torn it out and need to recast on, but definitely these buttons are motivation to get going on it. I just love them! And again, they aren't the sort that you find hanging on a card in the mega fabric stores.

Then I pulled out my fuzzy swatch and had to really search. This blue isn't the easiest to match, and but I wanted buttons that would stand out. What do you think?

I know, bling, bling. But oh, so pretty and wonderfully old fashioned. Here's the ironic part--I got this Rowan yarn on eBay for a steal--the buttons cost twice as much. Isn't that pathetic? But it is better than haunting Value Village for the next six months looking for a second hand sweater I can buy for its buttons. Again, it is motivating to have the buttons right there, sort of urging you on to finish so you can wear them and get your money's worth out of them. Of course, then part of me is saying, wouldn't they look gorgeous on some yummy dark blue sweater . . . but that would require a yarn purchase. No, I won't . . . I can't . . .