Kabead Collar

Kabead Collar by Tracey Lee

What is Being Made

The Kabead Collar is a hybrid neckwear accessory that combines the best features of a cowl and shawl. This knitted collar is worked flat and features a ribbed neck opening that buttons at the front, making it a functional and stylish piece for keeping evening chills at bay. The design includes a rib neck to anchor the piece securely, while the body flares out to cover the shoulders with a pretty textured lace pattern. The collar is available in 2 sizes and is designed to be worn as an elegant evening accessory.

Techniques Used

The Kabead Collar is knit flat using fundamental knitting techniques combined with lace work. The construction begins with a ribbed collar section at the neckline, which provides structure and ensures a secure fit. The body of the collar then transitions into a textured lace design that creates an open, decorative fabric. This combination of techniques—ribbing for stability and lace for visual interest—allows the collar to flare out gracefully across the shoulders while maintaining its shape at the neck opening.

Stitches Used

The pattern utilizes essential knitting stitches and abbreviations including:

• K (Knit) – the fundamental knit stitch
• P (Purl) – the basic purl stitch used in ribbing
• K2tog (Knit 2 together) – a right-leaning decrease
• SSK (Slip, Slip, Knit) – a left-leaning decrease created by slipping the next stitch knitwise, returning it to the left needle, and knitting together through the back loop
• YO (Yarn Over) – an eyelet increase that creates the openwork characteristic of lace

The pattern includes both full written instructions and charts for the lace design, allowing knitters to follow either format based on their preference.

Materials and Specifications

The Kabead Collar is worked in worsted weight yarn (also referred to as 10ply), requiring 240–300 metres (260–325 yards) of yarn depending on the size chosen. The pattern is worked on 4.5mm (US7) needles at a gauge of 20 stitches and 34 rows over 10 centimetres (4 inches) in stocking stitch.

Additional materials include:

• 7 buttons measuring 25mm (1 inch) in diameter for the front neck closure
• 2 stitch markers for marking the band (additional markers are optional for tracking lace pattern repeats)

Difficulty Level

The Kabead Collar is rated as an intermediate project, making it suitable for knitters with some experience who are comfortable working with lace stitches, decreases, and yarn overs. The combination of ribbing and textured lace design requires attention to pattern details, but the inclusion of both written instructions and charts provides flexibility for different learning styles.