قبعة بسيطة, qaba‘a basiita, means simple hat in Arabic. This pattern is the colorwork version of my Salaam Beanie done in a textured stitch pattern. I have a few other motifs lined up for future versions, so I’m breaking out the basic starting point which is a simple striped beanie, and the other versions will be variations on this theme.

Update 7 (Final Update)

Minor changes at this point, shifting the pattern over to within the field of stripes as opposed to sitting right under the decrease line. This will allow a variety of motifs that can expand over two (or three) repeats. Minor changes in the sewn bind off, and I’m extremely happy with the result. Pattern soon!

Update 6

All the components are done and I’m very happy with the results. I shifted to a purl indentation along the entirety of the decrease line. For the bind off, I ordered the book Cast On, Bind Off, 211 Ways to Begin and End Your Knitting by cappadocia from alibris.com and found the “double-stranded bind off” to be exactly what I’ve been looking for instead of just literally “knit 12 together” which has always seemed unfinished and fragile to me. I sense myself headed toward Armenian knitting because a) I love knitting stranded color work and b) I love it also simply in terms of the fabric I get. The next version with a different motif will explore this further.

Update 5

For the crown decreases I have tried a central double decrease, as well as using a knitted into the stitch below technique both of which raise the central line in a way I don’t find pleasing aesthetically. Have settled on paired decreases on either side of this central line, but using a variation that I found demonstrated in a quick video interview with Jared Flood (brooklyntweed); it is documented in the book Knitting with Two Colors by megswanson and AmyDetjen as an alternative SSK, and attributed to Dee Barrington. It is an amazing book that I highly recommend!

I’ve gone back to an Italian tubular cast-on, though the other cast on I was using remains an option. I’ve changed the cast-on count to make the design more modular both for future motifs of my own, but also to allow anyone to plug in their own motifs as well. Size 6.5 US needles would probably be ideal; the pattern works with both US 6 and US 7 and produces nice fabric.

Update 4

I’ve settled on the cast-on edge as a German Twisted Cast-On done in pattern (in the purl/motif color). I’ve done a simple version which is the beanie knit up without motif. Decrease is was a central double decrease, and is now paired leaning decreases along a one-stitch spine. Using approx. 40g of Holst Garn Coast (wool and cotton blend).

Update 3

Complete revise once again. The beanie moves from corrugated rib to colorwork in stockinette fabric; the rib is knit on substantially smaller needles. I’ve been experimenting with cast-on edges: I started with a German Twisted Cast-on done in pattern, and then tried an Italian two-color cast-on, and then started experimenting with combining them such that the edge border is minimized, and the colors of the corrugated rib just flow up and down. Working on two samples now to nail down the crown pattern and decreases. Ironically, after literally 50+ pattern variations, this bold “salaam” was also attempt #6 or so….

Update 2

I have completely revised the pattern, adding a second row of the “salaam” square kufic Arabic, and balancing it better with the geometric shapes. I will shift the second row of “salaam” to read upside down; the full pattern will have more of a horizontal symmetry. Looking back now at the held-double version, I am growing to like the fabric and will go back to that next with this new pattern. Need to clean up the corrugated ribbing so it doesn’t blend in with the pattern.

Update 1

I have explored to exhaustion seed stitch ribbing as well as slipped stitch patterns for ribbing. I won’t show any of the slipped stitch attempts because I wasn’t happy with any of them. I started playing with corrugated rib and thought it answered a lot of issues for me: I wanted to avoid a cast-on and rib that were a single layer moving into color work that is two layers. I’ve also come back to a tubular cast on, and the hat is now full color work which I enjoy a lot. I’m seeing now how I can pick up my attempts to move the pattern into the rib via texture with this approach.

This is a progression (or a coming full circle) from my recently uploaded pattern for the Salaam Beanie. Here you can see how that started with a straightforward square-kufic Arabic rendering that was shifted diagonally and then implemented using twisted purl stitches.

I’ve come back to the original starting point and am testing now a version that will be stranded color work, using additional sections, and a variation in the decreases given the squared-up nature of stitches in stranded color work.

As with the other pattern, this one will also be free to download.