The Criostal Collar

I’ve been having quite a few experiences lately, where one maker’s creation inspires me to ‘respond,’ for lack of a better word, with a creation of my own. There is a wonderful synergy when this happens, that I can’t quite compare to any other aspect of the creative process.

The most recent example is the Criostal Collar - which was inspired by a dress made for me by the talented Catherine Smith.

After enjoying the Country Plaid Skirt that Catherine is so well known for (you can see it on me here), I asked several months later whether she could make me a simple v-neck dress… which appeared to be fitted, but in fact had quite a bit of ease throughout to accommodate an active lifestyle. I know that the use of the word ‘simple’ earlier in the sentence, is at odds with such a specific request! But Catherine wasn’t phased and in due course the dress arrived.

Made in a dark-navy wool, there is a formal, tailored look to the dress. But despite appearances, it is loose and comfortable, the sort of garment that is suitable for cycling - which is a must for me, since I get around exclusively by bicycle. And unfortunately, I’ve had cause to ride my bike to some somber occasions over the past year, so I have actually gotten quite a bit of wear out of this dress in a formal context.

It was on one of these occasions, as I was putting on the dress in front of the mirror, that I suddenly had a very clear vision - of a simple cream lace collar, slightly gathered around the neckline. And that is how the Criostal Collar came to be.

My main goal for this collar was to make it both easy and versatile - suitable not just for this particular garment, but for a variety of others.

Typically the fabric for a lace collar is knitted horizontally, casting on the full stitch count for the width and then working top down. This method makes puts a lot of pressure on the knitter to get the gauge and the stitch count perfect, so that the length of the collar fits the garment’s neckline - especially if the neckline is a v-neck.

So it occurred to me… A much more forgiving and flexible approach would be to knit the collar vertically, as a thin strip. And then to gather it to varying degrees, depending on which garment you want to wear it with.

It almost seemed too easy to be true. But lo and behold, the idea worked. I already had the perfect yarn from Life in the Long Grass. And I used the lace motif from my Criostal Shawl, which seemed ideal for the aesthetic I had in mind. The result you can see here.

The Criostal Collar is an easy, detachable accessory that is worked vertically, then gathered to fit almost any crew-neck or v-neck garment in your wardrobe.

If you are a fledgling lace knitter and can’t cope with increasing or decreasing in pattern, this pattern will not stress you out - as it is literally just a strip of lace. No increasing or decreasing involved.

But as an experienced lace knitter, I did not find making this boring - it was a meditative ‘autopilot’ project that served as a nice palate cleanser between garment projects.

Rather than publish the Criostal Collar pattern separately, I decided to bundle it together with the existing Criostal Shawl pattern.

So, the pattern called Criostal now contains two files: The Criostal Shawl and the Criostal Collar. For anyone inspired to give it a try, I hope you enjoy it. And thank you so much, Catherine, for the beautiful dress that inspired this project!

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Pattern: Criostal (ravelry-only for now)
Yarn: Life in the Long Grass Linen-Merino Singles
Dress: Catherine Smith
Sweater Pattern (last photo): Dropp Pullover