I'm not crazy about sewing on buttons, either. Frankly, there are times that an otherwise complete garment languishes for months in my linen closet, because it has no buttons.

When I do finally sew them, I do have a little trick that makes the final result more pleasant.

I always use a "waste" button on the back of the knitting, to give the main button a firm foundation. Simply sew the two buttons to each other, through the knit fabric. It's much better than the sometimes floppy look of unsupported buttons. Also, it makes me feel less like I'm in danger of destroying my knitting by sewing a button to too small of an area.