Hazel Nut Segmented Collar Free Pattern: Post-Rib Crochet Neck Band in Natural Tones

Hazel Nut Segmented Collar Free Pattern: Post-Rib Crochet Neck Band in Natural Tones

Introduction

If you have ever wanted to make something that looks boutique-bought but only uses the most basic crochet stitches, this Hazel Nut Segmented Collar is exactly the project for you. It is a short, structured neck band worked in three calm natural tones — undyed cream, oatmeal beige, and warm hazel brown — separated by crisp little ridge lines that make the whole piece look far more complicated than it really is. The secret is post ribbing: a simple way of working around the posts of your stitches so the fabric grows into deep, stretchy vertical ribs that hug the neck comfortably. Finished, it measures about 16 inches around and 2.75 inches tall, with a soft matte cotton texture and a neat single-crochet top edge. It is perfect for absolute beginners, for anyone who wants a quick weekend gift, and for anyone who loves that modern, natural, handcrafted look.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Worsted weight (category 4) cotton yarn, approximately 110 yd (100 m) total, divided as follows:
  • 45 yd (41 m) Color A — undyed cream
  • 35 yd (32 m) Color B — oatmeal beige
  • 30 yd (27 m) Color C — warm hazel brown
• Hook: 5.0 mm (US H-8) crochet hook, or whatever size you need to match the gauge below.
• Stitch markers: 2 or 3, to mark your first stitch and your color-change points.
• Tapestry needle: a blunt-tipped yarn needle for weaving in ends and sewing on the button.
• Scissors: any small sharp pair for cutting yarn.
• Button: one 0.5 in (1.3 cm) button for the back closure.
• Finished size: Circumference approx. 16 in (40.5 cm) unstretched; the ribbing stretches to approx. 19 in (48 cm). Height approx. 2.75 in (7 cm). Fits a neck circumference of 14–17 in (35.5–43 cm).

Abbreviations and Beginner Glossary

Every abbreviation used in this pattern is listed here in plain English. Read this section once before you begin — you will not need to guess at anything later.

• ch — chain. Make a loop with the yarn, wrap the yarn over the hook, and pull it through the loop on your hook. That is one chain.
• sl st — slip stitch. Insert the hook into the stitch, wrap the yarn over, and pull it through both the stitch and the loop on your hook at the same time. It makes a tiny, almost invisible join.
• sc — single crochet. Insert the hook into the stitch, wrap the yarn over, pull up a loop (two loops on hook), wrap the yarn over again, and pull through both loops. One single crochet made.
• hdc — half double crochet. Wrap the yarn over the hook first, insert the hook into the stitch, wrap the yarn over, pull up a loop (three loops on hook), wrap the yarn over again, and pull through all three loops at once.
• dc — double crochet. Wrap the yarn over, insert the hook into the stitch, wrap the yarn over, pull up a loop (three loops on hook), wrap the yarn over and pull through two loops, wrap the yarn over and pull through the last two loops.
• FPdc — front post double crochet. This is a double crochet worked around the post (the vertical body) of the stitch below instead of into its top. Insert the hook from front to back to front around the post, then complete a normal double crochet. It pushes the stitch forward, creating a raised rib.
• BPdc — back post double crochet. The same idea, but insert the hook from back to front to back around the post of the stitch below, then complete a normal double crochet. It pushes the stitch backward, creating a recessed rib.
• st(s) — stitch or stitches.
• rnd — round. A round is a row worked in a circle. In this pattern the rounds are worked flat (back and forth) but are still called rounds because they form a cylinder.
• A / B / C — Colors A, B, and C as listed in the materials.
• turn — flip your work over so you can work back along the row you just made.
• fasten off — cut the yarn a few inches from the work, pull the tail all the way through the last loop, and tug gently to secure it.

Gauge

16 sts and 14 rounds = 4 in (10 cm) in front/back post double crochet ribbing.

Gauge simply means how big your stitches come out. If your stitches are bigger than the pattern writer's, your collar will be too large; if they are smaller, it will be too tight. Because this collar is worn close to the neck, gauge matters a lot here.

How to make a gauge swatch: With your 5.0 mm hook and any scrap of worsted cotton, chain 21. Work Row 1 as hdc in each chain across (20 sts). Then work 14 rows of alternating FPdc and BPdc exactly as described in Row 2 below. Lay the swatch flat without stretching it and measure a 4 in (10 cm) square in the middle. Count the stitches across and the rows up. If you have more stitches than 16, go up a hook size; if you have fewer, go down a hook size. Try again until it matches.

Beginner Tips Before You Start

• Use a stitch marker in your first stitch of every row. Post ribbing can look confusing because the raised stitches hide the tops. A marker tells you instantly where the row began.
• Do not pull your yarn too tight. Post stitches need a little slack to wrap around the post below. If your work curls up and feels stiff, you are pulling too hard — relax your tension.
• Read the post, not the top. For FPdc and BPdc you insert your hook around the vertical body of the stitch below, not into the two top loops. Look at the stitch you made last row: the post is the little column holding it up.
• Change colors on the last pull-through of the previous row. When you finish the final stitch of a color block, pull the new color through to complete that stitch. This keeps the color change clean.
• Count every row. Each row in this pattern has exactly 64 stitches. Count them before you turn — it takes ten seconds and saves you from discovering a mistake five rows later.
• Keep the piece flat, not twisted. Because you are working back and forth rather than in a closed ring, check after every few rows that the fabric is not spiraling.

Step-by-Step Instructions

All stitches are US terms. The collar is worked flat (back and forth, turning at the end of each row) so that an opening is left at the back for the button closure. Every row has 64 stitches.

Set-Up

With Color A, ch 65. Do not join. The piece is worked flat in rows, turning at the end of each row.

Body — Color A Block

Row 1 (Color A): Ch 1 (does not count as a st). Hdc in each ch across. Turn. (64 hdc)

Row 2 (Color A): Ch 2 (counts as first FPdc). FPdc around next st, BPdc around next st; repeat (FPdc, BPdc) across to last st, FPdc around last st. Turn. (64 sts: 32 FPdc, 32 BPdc)

Rows 3–6 (Color A): Ch 2. Work FPdc around each FPdc and BPdc around each BPdc across. Turn. (64 sts)

Ridge Line and Color B Block

Row 7 — Ridge Line (Color B): Ch 1. Hdc in each st across. Turn. (64 hdc) Fasten off Color A.

Row 8 (Color B): Ch 2. FPdc around next st, BPdc around next st; repeat (FPdc, BPdc) across to last st, FPdc around last st. Turn. (64 sts)

Rows 9–12 (Color B): Ch 2. Work FPdc around each FPdc and BPdc around each BPdc across. Turn. (64 sts)

Ridge Line and Color C Block

Row 13 — Ridge Line (Color C): Ch 1. Hdc in each st across. Turn. (64 hdc) Fasten off Color B.

Row 14 (Color C): Ch 2. FPdc around next st, BPdc around next st; repeat (FPdc, BPdc) across to last st, FPdc around last st. Turn. (64 sts)

Rows 15–18 (Color C): Ch 2. Work FPdc around each FPdc and BPdc around each BPdc across. Turn. (64 sts)

Top Edge

Row 19 — Top Edge (Color C): Ch 1. Sc in each st across. Do not turn. Fasten off. (64 sc)

Assembly and Finishing

Weave in ends. Thread each yarn tail onto your tapestry needle and run it back and forth through the back of several stitches (about 1 in / 2.5 cm), then trim close to the fabric. Never knot your ends — knots create lumps that show through the ribbing.

Blocking. Lightly mist the collar with cool water and press it flat with a warm iron over a clean cloth. Do not press the iron directly onto the ribbing and do not flatten it — you want the ribs to stay raised. Let it dry completely before moving on.

Button. Sew the 0.5 in (1.3 cm) button to the right front corner of the collar at the bottom edge (in the Color A block) using Color A yarn and your tapestry needle. Pass through the buttonholes several times to secure it firmly.

Button loop. With Color C, join the yarn at the top corner of the left front edge. Ch 6, then sl st back into the same corner to form a loop. Fasten off and weave in the ends. Check that the button passes through the loop comfortably — if it is too tight, add one more chain; if it is too loose, remove one.

Final check. The collar should sit snugly but comfortably at the base of the neck; the ribbing provides natural stretch. The button closure allows the collar to be opened fully and worn over the head.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Change the color story. The three-block structure works in any palette. Try charcoal, dove grey, and soft black for a menswear look, or dusty rose, blush, and cream for something softer. Keep the ridge lines one shade darker than the blocks around them so they stand out.
• Adjust the size. The stitch count is a multiple of 2 (for the FPdc/BPdc pairs) plus 2 edge stitches. To make the collar larger or smaller, add or remove chains in multiples of 2 at the set-up, then keep every row at that new count. Each 2 stitches adds roughly 0.5 in (1.3 cm) of circumference.
• Substitute the yarn. Any worsted weight cotton or cotton-blend will work. A cotton-linen blend gives a crisper, more summery finish; a cotton-acrylic blend is softer and slightly stretchier. Always swatch first, because fiber changes the gauge.
• Make it taller or shorter. Add or remove post-ribbing rows within any color block to change the height. Each extra row adds about 0.2 in (0.5 cm). Just remember to keep the ridge line rows and the final single-crochet top edge exactly where they are.