Knitted collar with zipper

Using circular knitting needle size 6.0 mm and 2 strands (1 strand of Anna and Clara’s wool bamboo yarn and 1 strand of Anna and Clara’s mohair yarn), cast on 158 stitches (sts). Work back and forth.

Row (r) 1 (right side (RS)): * knit (k) 3, purl (p) 2 *, repeat from * to * until last 3 sts, k3.

Row 2 (wrong side (WS)): * p3, k2 *, repeat from * to * until last 3 sts, p3.

Shoulder shaping (neck edge): You shape the shoulder on RS and WS, but note that the number of times you knit the figures in brackets is reduced by 1 before and after the stitch markers and the number of stitches stated below apply only to the first two rows. You decrease (dec) in every row.

Work (k3, p2) six times, k3, p1, knit 2 together (k2tog) purlwise, set stitch marker (ssm), k2, p2, k2, ssm, k2tog, p1, work (k3, p2) thirteen times, k3, p1, k2tog purlwise, ssm, k2, p2, k2, ssm, k2tog, p1, work (k3, p2) six times, k3.

Work (p3, k2) six times, p3, k1, p1, ssm, p2, k2, p2, ssm, p1, k1, work (p3, k2) thirteen times, p3, k1, p1, ssm, p2, k2, p2, ssm, p1, k1, work (p3, k2) six times, p3.

Continue decreasing until 98 sts remain and the collar measures about 14 cm (at centre back).

Now work 20 cm without decreases, k3, p2 (on RS) and p3, k2 (on WS). Cast off from RS.

If you wish to make the collar slightly more snug at the top of the neck, after 10 cm, work a knit row from the WS and then continue as before until the collar measures 20 cm.

Sew on each side of the zipper separately. Start from the bottom.

Fold the topmost 10 cm of the collar to the inside and then sew the zipper between the two layers. Weave in ends.