It began exactly the way most of my projects begin: I simply got the feeling that I wanted to make something. I have always been drawn to old-fashioned things and patterns from old magazines. That is where the idea for this collar came from.
I was thinking of myself too. My neck is no longer twenty years old and could do with a little covering. Hence the higher neckline. I am certainly not the only person with that concern. In my case there is also the scar from thyroid surgery, which leaves a hollow. But never mind that.
Materials
- Crochet thread: Madame Tricote Maxi (mercerised cotton)
- Crochet hook
- Scissors
- Needle
- Pearls / beads (for fastening)
A softer cotton yarn can be used too. If the collar does not sit tightly around the neck, mercerised thread works very well.
I found a collar style I liked and started making it. Everything went smoothly… until the end. That is where the large arches begin and the instructions wander off in their own direction. My brain was properly fried.
So I did what I always do: went my own way. Improvisation. I solved it in whatever way seemed logical and workable. The result? It worked.
I fastened the collar with pearl beads that act as buttons.
When I first tried it on, the lower section spread too far apart and would not stay together. Solution: I added three pearls at the bottom and made separate fastening loops. Now it sits nicely and holds its shape.
Second attempt – classic white
Once the first, pink collar was finished, I liked it so much that I decided to make a second one. White.
I had already survived the “despair” at the end of the pink collar, so the second one went more calmly. Same thread, same pattern, simply classic white.
And as I now had the process under control, I put the whole thing into a video too.
A little extra – bun net
Another accessory from the same era is a hair bun net. Long hair in a bun tends to fall apart, especially when freshly washed. The net keeps everything neatly together.
I also use three bun pins:
I first put my hair into a ponytail, and because hair ties loosen, those three pins keep everything firmly in place.
Video
If you want to make a collar like this yourself, there is a video and there are instructions. And if, near the end, it feels as if the instructions simply do not work… know that I was in exactly the same place. The solution may appear precisely when you dare to use your own head a little.
🐾 Bim looked at me as if I owed him something.
“Well, another collar. Is there finally going to be peace in the house?”
“Peace? The crocheting is only just beginning. Let them complain, I am carrying on.”
Bim just stared… and waited for the next collar.
👵 Maimu smiled and lifted her coffee cup. Bim did not argue.
The collars really are available in the Tiina Butiik shop.