Pattern – Knitted Clerical Collar

I had the idea for this after a June heatwave. I kinda love mine.

I intend to make this available on ravelry, but from what I can tell the .pdf needs to be hosted elsewhere. So…

Knitted Linen Clerical Collar v2.4
(updated to correct stitch count before cast-off)

I forget which of my colleagues said, of his linen collar, that he was glad to know he wasn’t going to be buried with a plastic ring around his neck that would outlast his earthly body by a few centuries. Yeah. I also don’t like the way they split at the edges of the button-holes and become unwearable.

The first two collars I knit were both too big – I didn’t steam out my test swatch before measuring. I wear a 16′ and ended up with a 17.5′ and a 17′. The 17′ was close enough first thing in the morning, but sagged a bit after a full hot and humid day. But SO much more comfortable that my plastic collars. I have a project-for-giving-away that I need to finish before I do anymore knitting for myself, though. So a better-fitting third-time’s-a-charm collar will have to wait.

I’ve also got some DK weight Cotton/Linen that would make a much more affordable version. (Though the “less affordable” linen worked out to almost the same cost as new plastic ones, assuming I can get 3 collars from my 100g skein) I’m not sure that the weight will work– at least not with the style of shirt I prefer – with the blouse and collar both closing at the back, there are just too many layers and the stud isn’t long enough to hold it all together. I don’t know if replacing the stud (they come with the shirts) with a cuff-link would fix this. I’d have tried already, but the Man of the House doesn’t happen to own any French Cuffs, or cuff-links.