Prehistoric Buttons for the Modern Knitter

If you are a knitter, chances are that you have knit a garment at some point in your knitting career that required buttons.   I don't know about you, but I am ALWAYS on the lookout for unique buttons that I think will set off projects I might have in the works.

Recently my sister-in-law gave me a set of buttons for my birthday that were made out of Petosky Stone.  If you're from Michigan, you are probably familiar with these wonderful stones.  If you aren't, let me tell you a little about them.  They are actually fossilized coral that are found in Michigan, often along the shores of Lake Michigan and some of the other Great Lakes.  They were originally part of some great coral reefs found in the area millions of years ago.  As the coral died off, it eventually fossilized and then, when the glaciers moved through the state, the glaciers dragged fragments of these frozen bits of prehistoric history around the area.  Now the Petosky Stone is the official State Stone of Michigan.    Seen above, it doesn't look like much, does it?  Now obviously, you wouldn't be encountering it in a button shape along the beach but as a pebble or rock.  It would look more like a pock-marked piece of concrete or volcanic stone unless you got it wet.  That's when you see the wonders that are in that unassuming stone.  (As kids, we used to search for Petosky Stones and then bring our treasures home and entertain ourselves by dipping them in a bucket of water and watch the patterns of the coral emerge.)

My sister purchased these buttons from the delightfully-named vendors called Two Old Stoners at a craft fair.  The button on the right is how it looks before you polish it.  The button on the left is how it looks after being polished.  Wonderfully, they include easy-to-follow instructions on how to polish these that use three simple items....an emery board, some sandpaper, and baby oil.  Piece of cake!

Here's a look at another of the buttons after I had polished them. Aren't they unique? They'll be perfect for a sweater that I have in mind and I already have the yarn in hand. If you'd like to see more of the Petosky Stone products that these vendors are making, you can follow them on Facebook (under "Two Old Stoners"). Happy knitting!