Crocodile Stitch Collar

I LOVE the crocodile stitch!  LOVE it.  The flair!  The drama!  The texture!  I swoon...

image from Yarn Muse 
If you're interested in learning this stitch I found her blog and tutorial videos very helpful!

I've been wanting to make something using this stitch for a while now but knew it couldn't be just any ol' thing.  It needed to be special.  And then I finished  my baby sister's birthday gift.  This wasn't a standard gift; these were a little dramatic and, well, special.  And my other sister had a birthday coming up...eureka!  Living in Colorado, I didn't know how practical wristwarmers would be.  If she was out and about, she'd probably want her fingers to be just as warm as everything else.  I settled on a collar/neckwarmer--maximum warmth, room for heightened drama, and not so long (like a scarf) that I grew weary of the project way before it was finished.  Perfect!

I am so happy with the results!  There really isn't a pattern here, I just did a chain in multiples of 3, measuring it against my neck until I found a width I was happy with.  And then I started crocodile stitchin'!  About halfway through I decided I really wanted the scales to face down on both sides so I actually made one half, crocheted the other side a few rows longer, and then connected the two pieces with a seam in the back.  Then I added some black ribbon to tie and mailed it off!  I can't wait to see pictures of my gorgeous sister wearing this!