Depends on the button. They all like poking about and digging in the button tin, and some buttons end up being hauled off as treasure, others are chewed to bits. Amelia had a thing for gold -- she’d always dig for gold buttons then run away with them.
Amelia was one of the Hoard Masters, she saw to all the shiny treasures. I have no idea how she discerned gold, whether it was smell, taste, or tooth feel. Our first rat, Ash, he liked to thieve the rings I wear -- after an extended petting session, he’d start tugging on the rings, get them off my finger, then run off with them. I’d recover them later, and we’d go through it all again. :)
Ice Swimmersays
Nice play of light and shadow.
I remember having a bit of a thing for button tins as a kid and, well, given access to somebody’s well-stocked button tin, might still have. It seems I’m in good company.
Ice Swimmer, you wouldn’t be alone in that. I used to get into my grandmother’s and great-grandmother’s button tins, there’s something fascinating about buttons -- there’s a great deal of culture visible in buttons. I still have a thing for buttons.
Nightjarsays
The second shot is adorable!
Button tins, they bring back so many memories. My mother and her sister are sewing professionals and I was basically raised in their studio, among sewing machines, fabrics, threads and of course lots of all kinds of buttons. I’m told that as a toddler I would spend hours playing with buttons, giving me a button tin was the best way to keep me entertained. I’m also told that everyone who came to the studio would look at me playing with the buttons and warn my mother, thinking that she didn’t know and worrying I’d choke on one. But apparently I’d never put any non-edible thing in my mouth, as unusual as that is for such ages, so that was never a problem.
I’m told that as a toddler I would spend hours playing with buttons, giving me a button tin was the best way to keep me entertained.
I’m not surprised. They were early entertainment for me, too. I don’t remember sticking any of them in my mouth, my Grandmother told me I was always trying to make a sort of mosaic with them, and it was a long time getting them all back in the tin. :D
Nightjarsays
Caine,
I would apparently sort them by colour and size and then try to pile them up in different ways. Untangling threads was another favourite of mine, that was also more helpful. :D
I was always more on the tangling things up side. :D
chigau (違う)says
Buttons were once measured by “lines”. A “line” is one fourtieth (1/40) of an inch.
I know this because of a couple of winters cataloguing artifacts from fur-trade archaeology sites.
.
I really don’t know why I remember this but I’m not wrong. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Button#Button_sizes
I too loved my grandmother’s button tin which I layed with,and I inherited it, along with my mother’s so what with the buttons I have aquired myself I have quite a collection. I don’t get them out anywhere but my workroom as Mr Jazz hates buttons, it’s not quite a phobia, but near one. Back in the days I did my sewing at one end of the table we ate at I had to cover all buttons and pins of he couldn’t eat.
I too untangled threads, both my grandmother and great aunt did tapestry work so there was always a tangle of wool embroidery thread ends to be sorted. Though I now suspect it got retangled after I left as they always seemed to need my help with untangling it!
Do your rats chew the buttons up or do they just like poking around in the bowl?
Depends on the button. They all like poking about and digging in the button tin, and some buttons end up being hauled off as treasure, others are chewed to bits. Amelia had a thing for gold -- she’d always dig for gold buttons then run away with them.
Interesting. This shows that rats are capable of having aesthetic preferences and perhaps even hobbies.
Amelia was one of the Hoard Masters, she saw to all the shiny treasures. I have no idea how she discerned gold, whether it was smell, taste, or tooth feel. Our first rat, Ash, he liked to thieve the rings I wear -- after an extended petting session, he’d start tugging on the rings, get them off my finger, then run off with them. I’d recover them later, and we’d go through it all again. :)
Nice play of light and shadow.
I remember having a bit of a thing for button tins as a kid and, well, given access to somebody’s well-stocked button tin, might still have. It seems I’m in good company.
Ice Swimmer, you wouldn’t be alone in that. I used to get into my grandmother’s and great-grandmother’s button tins, there’s something fascinating about buttons -- there’s a great deal of culture visible in buttons. I still have a thing for buttons.
The second shot is adorable!
Button tins, they bring back so many memories. My mother and her sister are sewing professionals and I was basically raised in their studio, among sewing machines, fabrics, threads and of course lots of all kinds of buttons. I’m told that as a toddler I would spend hours playing with buttons, giving me a button tin was the best way to keep me entertained. I’m also told that everyone who came to the studio would look at me playing with the buttons and warn my mother, thinking that she didn’t know and worrying I’d choke on one. But apparently I’d never put any non-edible thing in my mouth, as unusual as that is for such ages, so that was never a problem.
Nightjar:
I’m not surprised. They were early entertainment for me, too. I don’t remember sticking any of them in my mouth, my Grandmother told me I was always trying to make a sort of mosaic with them, and it was a long time getting them all back in the tin. :D
Caine,
I would apparently sort them by colour and size and then try to pile them up in different ways. Untangling threads was another favourite of mine, that was also more helpful. :D
I was always more on the tangling things up side. :D
Buttons were once measured by “lines”. A “line” is one fourtieth (1/40) of an inch.
I know this because of a couple of winters cataloguing artifacts from fur-trade archaeology sites.
.
I really don’t know why I remember this but I’m not wrong.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Button#Button_sizes
Also, Chester was an extremely handsome fella.
That’s interesting, I didn’t know that!
I too loved my grandmother’s button tin which I layed with,and I inherited it, along with my mother’s so what with the buttons I have aquired myself I have quite a collection. I don’t get them out anywhere but my workroom as Mr Jazz hates buttons, it’s not quite a phobia, but near one. Back in the days I did my sewing at one end of the table we ate at I had to cover all buttons and pins of he couldn’t eat.
I too untangled threads, both my grandmother and great aunt did tapestry work so there was always a tangle of wool embroidery thread ends to be sorted. Though I now suspect it got retangled after I left as they always seemed to need my help with untangling it!
Jazzlet:
Now that’s interesting, and I have to say, new to me. Koumpounophobia! Apparently, Steve Jobs had this phobia.
I’ve always been fascinated by buttons, it never occurred to me that some people might fear them.