CROCHET COLLAR

                                

Crochet Collars.

finished collar

Collars give an impressive and gorgeous look to girls' and ladies' frocks and tops. Especially, when it is a crocheted collar it is much adorable and gives a rich look. There are different types of fabric collars as Peter Pan collar, notch collar, Chinese collar, shirt collar, etc. Some crochet collars are also made according to the shapes of the above fabric collars. For baby girls, Peter Pan collar design is used mostly. It is more beautiful when collars have two layers as one over the other. I have given an example here.

Some collars lay flat along the neckline. The necklines can have different shapes.  It can be round-shaped, boat-shaped, or V-shaped. Some collars attached to the neckline are like frills. They are wider than others and fall up to cover half of their arms and they look lacier. Some of these types of collars are round and some are square.

What are the suitable yarns for crochet collars? Cotton yarn, Bamboo cotton yarn, silk yarn, and acrylic yarn are best. Collars made out of acrylic yarn should not iron because acrylic is a synthetic substance.

Before making a collar you have to get some measurements. You have to think that whether the neckline is low cut or high cut. When the depth is determined and at that point, you can measure horizontally the length of the neckline you need.

If you want you can attach the collar to a neckline of an already finished garment. Measure the finished neckline and get the needed length. Then you can make the needed amount of chains to get that length.

Pattern description: According to this completed pattern the number of chains should be a multiple of 2. The total length of the neckline I have chosen is 28”. To cover that length (28”) I have taken 190 chains.

The stitches used here are chain (ch) single crochet (sc), double crochet (dc) and picot.

(The images are given for the sample pattern. I have taken 30 chains as a foundation chain in the sample)

 Row 1: To start, make the needed number (should be an even number) of chains after measuring the neckline. (Foundation chain) At the end, make 5 ch (3 chains to get the height or as a dc and 2 chains as the space) and yarn over, insert the hook to the 5^th ch from the hook and make a dc. Then ch 2 and skip 2 ch and to the next ch make 1 dc. “Ch 2, Skp 2,1dc”. Repeat to the end.

                                       

1st row

Row 2: Turn the work and make 3 chains and 2dcs to the ch 2 space and 1 dc to the dc below. “2dcs to the ch 2 space 1 dc to the dc below” From “to “Repeat to the end. Final dc to the 3rd ch of the beginning 3 chains.

3: Turn and make 3ch and make 3 dcs to the 3 dcs below. ch 3, Skip 3, 4dcs to the dcs below,“ ch 3, Skp 3, 4 dcs to the 4 dcs below” Repeat from “ to “ At the end ch 3,  skip 3 and 1 dc to the last dc below.

half way of Row 3

 Row 4: Turn and make 3 chains and make 2 dcs to the ch 3 space below. Ch 1 and three dcs to the same space. Skip 4dcs and 3 dcs to the ch 3 space below. Then ch 1 and 3dcs to the same space. “Skp 4dcs, 3dc, ch1, 3dc “Repeat from “to “At the end 3ch and make 1 dc to the 4th dc bellow with a dc.

Row 5: Turn, make a shell into the shell below. Make 2 chains and a shell into the shell below.”2ch, schell in schell” repeat. At the end join to the last dc with a dc.  

Row 6 : Turn, make 3 ch and make a shell into the shell bellow.Then make 3 ch and join with an sc to the space of 2 ch below. Make 3 ch and make a shell into the shell bellow. “3ch, sc to the ch 2 space, 3ch, shell in shell” repeat to the end. After the last shell, join to the last dc of the shell bellow with a sl.st.

Row 7: Turn and make 3ch and make a shell into the shell below. Then make 4 ch and join with a sc to the sc below. Make 4 ch and make a shell into the shell below. “4ch, sc to the ch 2 space, 4ch, shell in shell” Repeat. At the end join with a sl.st. to the last dc below.

after row 7

Row 8: Turn and make chain 3 and shell into the shell below. Then make 5 ch and join with a sc to the sc below. Make 5 ch and make a shell into the shell below. “5ch, sc to the ch 2 space, 5ch, shell in shell” Repeat. At the end join with a sl.st. to the last dc below.

Row 9: Turn and make chain 3 and shell into the shell below. Then make 6 ch and join with a sc to the sc below. Make 6 ch and make a shell into the shell below. “6ch, sc to the ch 2 space, 6ch, shell in shell” Repeat. At the end join with a sl.st. to the last dc below.

Row 10: Turn and make 3ch and join to the space of 1 ch of the shell with a sc. 12 ch and join to the next ch 1 space of the next shell. “12 ch, sc “repeat from “ to “.

Row 10

Row 11: Turn and make 3 ch and make 12 dcs to the 12 ch space. Then 1 sc to the sc at the top of the shell bellow. “12 dc, 1sc” repeat from “to “

Row 12: Turn and make 7 ch and skip 4dc and 4dcs to the 4dcs bellow. Ch 4 and skp 4 dc and 4 dc to the 4 dc bellow. “4ch, skp 4dc, 4dc” “repeat from “ to “

Half way of row 12

Row 13: Turn and make 11 ch and make 1sc to the chain 4 space. Then make 8ch and 1sc to the next ch 4 space.  “8ch, 1 sc” Repeat from “to”.

Row 14: Turn and Make 4 sc to the ch 8 space. Then a picot (Make 5 ch and join to the base). The again 4sc. “4sc, picot, 4sc”. Repeat from “to”

 half way of row 14

At the end make single crochet all around the 3 edges to make the edges even.

finished sample

                       

                             

 

crochet scarves with chevron stitch,

                                                       Crochet scarves

There are more temperate regions in the world than tropical regions. So, a large number of people have to wear body-warming accessories like scarves, shawls, neck warmers, ear warmers, etc.  to their normal wear. 

The scarf is one of those. These are very important for the people who live in temperate regions. But peoples in other countries also need these in some colder seasons. So to keep warm we must use a yarn made out of heat-insulating substances such as woolen in making scarves. Nowadays natural wool is more expensive and it is not much appreciated by animal lovers. Because animals are tortured in obtaining their fur or hairs.

Some animals (mammals) use to get the fur to make yarns are sheep, alpacas (a mammal related to the llama), minks, goats, and rabbits. Yarn types are alpaca from alpacas which should be mixed with wool to make crochet yarn and mohair from goats and angora from rabbits. Mohair yarns are shiny and can use to make scarves, winter hats, and sweaters. But working with mohair yarn should be done carefully because it tends to split and damage easily. Frogging (unraveling) also should be done by one stitch at a time. So, the products are more expensive and fine and have a feather-like looking.

 Now we can see about the common yarns which are suitable for scarves. There are wool, cotton, and acrylic yarns for easy crocheting and can sell at an affordable price if you are going to sell them. These types of yarns are beginner-friendly. But the other natural yarns also can be used for many crochet projects.

When we consider the width of a scarf, first we have to determine the width we want. Say if it is 6" then find the number of stitches you need for 1 inch and multiply it by 6. If you need 10 chains for 1" you should make 60 chains for 6". Then find the number which pattern says, (that is for example multiples of 6) and get the immediate closer number to that. But remember it should be a multiple of 6.

Then you can decide the length as your wish. Normally most scarves are about 55”. So, you can finish the pattern at that length.

If you need to add a crochet border you can make it along the long edge. If you want to add a fringe you can add it in the two short ends. When you make a fringe you have to have equal size of yarn pieces of desired length. 

I will discuss in another post how we can add a fringe to a crochet scarf.

Now I am going to give instructions to do a decorative stitch that is suitable to make crochet scarves. When you are choosing a pattern for a winter scarf it should not be with more holes. With that type of scarf, warmness will not be retained in the body.

                                      chevron stitch

finished sample here

Here, I have made 36 chains as a sample. As I discussed earlier, you can make the number of chains equal to the desired width of the scarf but it should be a multiple of six.  

Then make 3 ch, and 1 dc in the 4th ch from the hook. 

Then 1 dc to each of the 4 chains below, then skip two and make 5 dcs to the next 5 chains below. Then make 2ch and 5dcs to the 5 ch below. "skp 2, 5dc, 2ch, 5dc" repeat. At the end extra 1dc to the last chain. make 3ch and turn the work.

2nd row: make 3 ch, and to the same dc make 1 dc , then 4 dcs to the each of the dc below. Then 1dc, 2ch,1dc to the chain two gap of the previous row. Then 4dcs to the dc s below. Then skip 2 dcs and 4dcs .and 2dcs to the last dc.

        so you can repeat row 2 until you come to the desired length of the scarf. 

Instead of the double crochets, you used here you can use single crochet or treble crochet.

Further, you can change the colour of the yarn after finishing an even number of rows, for example after  2  rows you can change the colour. 2 colours alternatively or several colours with the same intervals.