I love this crochet collar. It took a bit of time to figure out, but once I got into the rhythm of it, it was a quick and satisfying project. Made from Yeoman Canelle 4ply yarn in linen. I can see lots of possibilities with variations in color, stitch, and layering. Soft jewelry is such a neat idea, especially for nursing mothers (just pop it in the wash!) or people with nickel allergies (thanks to my Saint Rosalia medal, I've got a big red blotch on my neck, even though it's 14 k gold filled).
The pattern is from the book Hook, Yarn and Crochet by Ros Badger, which is my dream book for a crochet project, really it is. I'm not just talking it up. I'm a visual and literal person. This book has clear and lovely photographs of each finished project and a visual guide in the front to different techniques and stitches, also in the clean, modern photography style that I so admire and aspire to. The directions are specific and explicit, and it recommends brands of yarn for each project, so you don't have to guess or worry about the finished project looking different from the images. And it has so many lovely patterns, I'll surely get my money's worth.
I do have one problem with this crochet necklace, though. It wants to curl because the yarn is stiff and tightly stitched. I don't have any heavy flat objects I can press it between. I thought of starch, then ironing. What do you recommend?
For the future, I've got my eye on this book, Knitted Lace Collars, for even more possibilities!
I recommend either a steam iron, or soaking it in water with a bit of dish soap and then pinning down the edges. You can use straight pins or even safety pins with just the points pushed in. Fun story: when we were in Ireland I blocked a lace shawl with safety pins this way!
ReplyDeleteDid you say the yarn was linen, or is that just the color? If it's linen yarn it may not be as stiff afterwards.
Fun story!! I remember those shawls, one for you one for your grandma. They were gorgeous.
DeleteThe color is linen. The yarn is actually cotton yarn, 4-ply. I'll try the dish soap and water one because I don't feel like buying an iron. I'd rather spend the money on more yarn and have wrinkly clothes!
Christie, are you on Ravelry? There are a bunch of forums dedicated to crocheters and it's a great place to get questions answered as well as find out about great patterns, lots of which are free.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful collar! What a great idea! I should look into making myself soft jewelry because I have basically quit wearing any the past 5 years because they're never sturdy enough...
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