When Elisabeth adopted her one-year-old puppy, Fiona, she was inspired to make inkle collars to frame her new pup’s lovely mug. Her foster parent warned her that Fiona was a little wild on the leash and recommended a martingale-style collar to ensure that she didn't pull out of her collar on walks.
A martingale slips over the head and has a D-ring that pulls the collar tighter when tugged. Elisabeth bought a martingale collar for Fiona and found it worked well (along with some upper body strengthening exercises and nonslip shoes!). Using the commercial collar as her example, she found the necessary hardware online and then designed an inkle Pup Collar that she could weave and sew herself.
Elisabeth Hill’s sweet inkle collars are the perfect accessory for any pup!
The two collars that Elisabeth designed are adjustable from 16–25 inches and are considered size large. Depending on the size of your dog’s head and neck, you may want to adjust the size that you make. In addition, although handwoven collars are beautiful and fully functional, in Elisabeth’s view, the ones she has woven are “Fiona’s jewelry,” and she uses them in conjunction with a strong commercially made harness designed for “exuberant” walkers.
These two inkle collar patterns use thick cotton and cottolin in the warp and weft for added strength. This project from Easy Weaving with Little Looms 2018 is great for anyone new to inkle weaving and even those who have been inkle weaving for a while. (If you're part of the Easy Weaving with Little Looms All Access program you can find the PDF for these sweet collars in the Easy Weaving With Little Looms library here.) Doesn’t your dog deserve some bling?
—Susan
Project at a Glance:
Equipment needed: Inkle loom; band knife or inkle shuttle.
Other supplies: Liquid seam sealant such as Fray Check; two 1½" brass tri-glide slides; 1½" brass D-ring; 1½" sliplock buckle.
Yarns: 5/2 Pearl Cotton (UKI); 22/2 Cottolin (Bockens).