Some crochet projects are quick little wins you finish in an evening. This is not one of those. This midnight navy starflower collar is the kind of piece that makes strangers stop you in the street and ask where you bought it. Spoiler: you made it, and yes, you get to brag about that forever.
Fair warning before we dive in: this is an advanced pattern. It asks for patience, sharp eyes, and a serious love for fine thread. But if you have been itching for a project that actually challenges you, stick around. The payoff is wearable art.
What Exactly Are You Making Here?
Picture an elegant bib-style lace collar that sits right at your neckline. It then cascades down to a V-shaped point at your chest. Very vintage, very dramatic, very “I made this with my own two hands.”
The star of the show is a repeating eight-petal starflower motif. Each flower has a pearl bead sitting snug in its center. The petals get a two-tone treatment thanks to silver metallic thread running alongside the navy cotton. That little bit of shimmer is what catches the light and makes people lean in for a closer look.
Construction starts at the neckband. From there, you build motifs downward in joined rows, fanning outward into that cascading bib shape. A hidden button-and-loop closure at the back keeps everything looking clean and seamless.
Skill Level: Be Honest With Yourself
This pattern sits firmly in the advanced category. You need to be comfortable with:
- Working with fine size 10 thread
- Joining motifs as you go (JAYG)
- Placing beads mid-stitch
- Managing a delicate gauge
The join-as-you-go technique demands precise counting. The shaped motif arrangement demands careful placement. There is no fudging your way through this one.
But here is the thing. If you have ever tackled a doily, worked with thread before, or finished any lace project, you already have the skills. You just need to slow down and trust the process.
How Long Will This Take?
Plan for 20 to 28 hours if you are an experienced lace crocheter working at a comfortable pace. Add extra time for bead placement and blocking.
Is that a lot? Sure. Is it a weekend project? Absolutely not. But every minute pays off when you drape this collar over your favorite dress.
After wet blocking, the finished collar measures about 15 inches around the neck and roughly 5.5 inches deep from the neckband to the lower motif tips.
Materials You Will Need
Gather these before you start, because nothing kills crochet momentum like a mid-project supply run.
Thread A (Main Color):
- Size 10 crochet cotton thread in navy or midnight blue
- Approximately 350 yards (320 m)
- My pick: DMC Cebelia Size 10 in color 823 (Dark Navy Blue). It is mercerized, holds a block beautifully, and stays consistent between dye lots.
- Budget-friendly alternative: Lizbeth Size 10 by Handy Hands in shade 672 (Navy Blue) for a slightly softer hand.
Thread B (Accent):
- Size 10 cotton or cotton-blend thread with a fine metallic silver ply
- Approximately 80 yards (73 m)
- My pick: Anchor Artiste Metallic Fine Thread in Silver (col. 303). Thin enough to carry alongside size 10 cotton without wrecking your gauge.
- Also great: Madeira Glamour No. 8 in Silver.
Hooks:
- Size 7 (1.65 mm) for the motifs
- Size 6 (1.80 mm) for the neckband
Notions:
- 42 pearl beads
- A beading needle
- One small shank button
- Sewing thread and needle
- Rustproof blocking pins
One important substitution note: Thread A must be size 10 mercerized cotton or a linen-cotton blend. Do not swap in anything heavier, or your motifs will lose that delicate open structure. Thread B must stay fine enough that holding it with Thread A does not push you past the gauge below. Always test a swatch first.
Gauge Matters More Than Usual
Work a test motif with your size 7 hook and Thread A. Block it, let it dry, then measure.
A motif even 0.25 inch too big or too small will change your finished dimensions noticeably. That is because the motifs join in a precise geometric arrangement. If one is off, the whole collar drifts. So do the swatch. I know, I know. Do it anyway.
Abbreviations and Special Stitches
Even if you are a seasoned lace crocheter, skim this section. Lace patterns sometimes use terms a little differently than regular patterns.
The Starflower Petal (8-Petal Version)
Each petal works like this: ch 6, tr in 4th ch from hook, tr in next ch, sl st in last ch. That gives you one elongated petal lobe. The collar uses a ring of 8 petals with a pearl bead at the center.
Picot (3-Chain Picot)
Ch 3, sl st in the first ch of those 3 chains. This makes a tiny loop bump. You will use it all over the edging and connecting arches.
Place Bead (pb)
Before you begin, pre-string all 42 pearl beads onto Thread A using a beading needle. Push them down the thread and slide one up to the hook whenever the pattern says pb. Work the stitch as normal, but before pulling the final loop through, slide the bead snug against your work so it sits on the right side.
Join-As-You-Go Motif Join (JAYG)
When joining a new motif to a finished one, work to the midpoint of the joining chain at the picot or chain-space. Then sl st into the matching ch-sp or picot of the adjacent motif. Finish the remaining chains of that joining chain and carry on with the new motif.
Shell, V-Stitch, and Arch
- Shell: (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) all in the same stitch or space.
- V-stitch: (dc, ch 2, dc) all in the same stitch or space.
- Arch: A chain bridge of a set length joining two points. It forms the connecting network between motifs.
Pattern Notes to Read Before You Start
- Pre-string all 42 beads onto Thread A first. This is not optional. Once you cut the thread, you cannot add beads.
- The collar builds in three phases. Phase One is the neckband. Phase Two is the upper motif row attached to the neckband’s lower edge. Phase Three is the cascading lower section, worked downward in three more motif rows.
- The right side is the public-facing side. Keep RS facing for all motif rounds after the foundation chain.
- Thread B creates the metallic accent lines along each petal’s center rib. Hold it together with Thread A during specific accent rounds.
- The neckband is a short single crochet rectangle worked with the size 6 hook for a firmer edge.
- Motif placement: 21 starflowers total across four rows. Row 4 (top, nearest the neck) has 5 motifs. Row 3 has 6. Row 2 has 7. Row 1 (bottom) has 3 motifs forming the V-point.
- Block aggressively with rustproof pins. The collar looks stiff and sad before blocking. Afterward, it lies flat and drapes like a dream.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Section 1: The Neckband
The neckband is the structural backbone. Work it with Thread A and the size 6 (1.80 mm) hook in flat single crochet rows.
Foundation Chain: With Thread A and size 6 hook, ch 151.
Row 1 (WS): Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. Turn. (150 sc)
Row 2 (RS): Ch 1, sc in each sc across. Turn. (150 sc)
Row 3 (WS): Ch 1, sc in each sc across. Turn. (150 sc)
Row 4 (RS): Ch 1, sc in each sc across. Turn. (150 sc)
Row 5 (WS): Ch 1, sc in each sc across. Turn. (150 sc)
Do not fasten off yet.
Button Loop: With RS facing, sl st to the corner of row 5 at the right end of the neckband (left side of neck as worn). Ch 7, sl st back into the same corner st to form a loop. Fasten off and weave in the end.
Button Placement: Sew the small shank button to the WS of the left end (right side of neck as worn) at center height, about 0.25 inch (6 mm) from the edge.
Checkpoint: Your neckband should measure about 15 inches (38 cm) long and 0.5 inch (1.3 cm) tall. Flat and slightly firm is exactly right.
Section 2: The Individual Starflower Motif
All 21 motifs follow the same steps. Work the first one with no joins just to learn the technique.
Round 1 (Center Ring): With Thread A and size 7 hook, make a MR. Ch 3 (counts as first dc), work 15 dc into the ring. Pull the ring tight. Join with sl st to the top of the beg ch-3. (16 dc total)
Before joining Round 1, slide 1 pearl bead up to the hook. Insert the bead into the ring’s center by pulling the tail snug so it sits on the RS. Tighten the magic ring tail around the bead base to secure it.
Round 2 (Petal Base Ring): Ch 1 (does not count as st), sc in same st as join. (Ch 5, skip 1 dc, sc in next dc) 7 times. Ch 5, skip 1 dc, join with sl st to first sc. (8 ch-5 loops, 8 sc)
Round 3 (Petal Body): Hold Thread A and Thread B together for this round only. Working into each ch-5 loop: sl st into first ch-5 loop, (ch 1, 5 dc, 5 dc, ch 1, sl st into same ch-5 loop, sl st to next sc, sl st into next ch-5 loop) 8 times. Join with sl st to the first sl st of the round. Drop and cut Thread B, leaving a 4-inch (10 cm) tail. Continue with Thread A only. (8 petals done)
Round 4 (Outer Picot Edge): Join to the tip of petal 1. (Ch 3, picot, ch 3, sl st to tip of same petal, ch 4, sl st to base of next petal between petals, ch 4, sl st to tip of next petal) repeat 8 times total, joining the final repeat to the first ch-3. (8 picots)
For later motifs, swap the picot of any joining petal tip with a JAYG join: ch 3, sl st into the matching picot of the adjacent motif, ch 0, sl st to the current petal tip, then keep going.
Checkpoint: One completed motif measures about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) across unblocked. After blocking it opens to about 1.75 inches (4.5 cm).
Section 3: Collar Assembly
Motif Row 4 (5 motifs, attached to neckband)
First, make a foundation attachment row along the neckband’s bottom edge. Join Thread A to the bottom-left corner st. Ch 1, sc in same st. Sc in each sc across the bottom edge of Row 1. (150 sc) Fasten off.
Spacing: Place stitch markers at sc positions 15, 45, 75, 105, and 135 counting from the left edge. Those are your 5 attachment points.
Work each motif through Round 3. On Round 4, join the top petals to the neckband at the marked spots. Join adjacent motifs at their side-facing petals using JAYG.
Motif Row 3 (6 motifs)
These stagger between the Row 4 motifs in a brick-offset arrangement. Each Row 3 motif nestles between two Row 4 motifs above it, connecting to their bottom picot points. R3-M1 and R3-M6 are the outer edge motifs with one free outer petal each.
Motif Row 2 (7 motifs)
Row 2 sits below Row 3 in the same staggered pattern. R2-M1 and R2-M7 are the outer edge motifs.
Checkpoint: After Row 2, your piece should measure about 5.5 inches (14 cm) from neckband top to the Row 2 bottom tips.
Motif Row 1 (3 motifs forming the V-point)
Three motifs create the lowest point. R1-M1 and R1-M3 are the upper side motifs. R1-M2 is the center point motif. For R1-M2, the bottom-facing petal gets a special extended picot: ch 5, picot, ch 5, sl st to petal tip. That gives you the elongated tip at the very bottom.
Section 4: Outer Edging
Join Thread A to any free outer picot on the left edge. Work around the full perimeter: (sl st into picot, ch 3, picot, ch 3) repeat around all outer free picots.
At outer corner petals, work: sl st into picot, ch 4, picot, ch 4. Continue until you return to the starting picot. Join with sl st. Fasten off and weave in the end.
Size Customization Tips
Need a different fit? No problem.
- Larger neck (16 to 18 inches): Add 2 stitches to the foundation chain for every 0.2 inch of extra length. Bump Row 4 to 6 motifs, Row 3 to 7, and Row 2 to 8. Row 1 stays at 3. Add 2 more beads.
- Shallower collar (about 5 inches deep): Skip Row 1 entirely and stop after Row 2.
- Child size (about 12 inch neck): Start with a foundation chain of 121. Work 4 motif rows with counts of 4, 5, 6, and 2. You will need roughly 240 yards of Thread A and 28 beads.
Finishing and Blocking
Weave in all Thread B tails securely, passing through at least 4 stitches in opposite directions before trimming. Do the same for every Thread A tail.
Check that all 42 beads are secure. If any feel loose, thread the tail through the bead hole a second time and tie a small overhand knot behind it.
Wet Blocking:
Fill a basin with cool water and a little wool wash. Submerge the collar and gently squeeze to saturate. Soak 10 minutes. Lift it out and roll it in a clean towel to remove excess water.
Lay the collar RS up on a blocking board. Pin the neckband straight with T-pins every 0.75 inch. Work downward, gently pulling each petal tip open and pinning each outer picot. The motif diameter opens from about 1.5 inches to the target 1.75 inches.
Let it dry completely, which takes 12 to 24 hours. Then unpin.
Care Instructions
Hand wash in cool water with a gentle detergent. Never machine wash or wring it out. Roll in a towel to remove water. Re-block flat to dry if the collar loses its shape. Store it flat or loosely rolled, and keep it out of prolonged direct sunlight to preserve that deep navy color.
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Final Thoughts
This collar is one of those projects that reminds you why you fell in love with crochet in the first place. It is slow, detailed, and a little demanding. It is also stunning, and you made it.
If you give this pattern a try, save it to your Pinterest boards so you can find it again. And seriously, share your finished piece. Nothing beats seeing handmade work out in the wild.
Now go pre-string those beads. All 42 of them. You have got this.
