COLLARS
There are numerous collarstyles to choose from. You work some
collars by picking up the stitches around the neck and knitting on
the collar directly; you work others as separate pieces that you sew
on to the neck later.
When knitting a collar directly onto a sweater, you need to be sure
to pick up stitches from the wrong side if the collar is going to fold
down. One way to create a collar is to pick up stitches and work the
collar in the round on double-pointed needles after joining the
shoulders. Another method is to work back and forth with one
shoulder still open and then sew a seam later.
You can work collars in a wide variety of stitch patterns; they can
even have cables or color work involved. Most often, knitters want to
use a stitch pattern that does not curl, such as ribbing, seed stitch, or
garter stitch. When you make a collar in stockinette stitch, which
does curl, it is a good idea to knit a flat-lying border around the edge
of the collar to temper the curling.
Finishing Details chapter 12