Washington, DC is a land of tourists. Visitors come to the city from all walks of life and all over the world. Even Buddhist monks take the time to visit the White House and the cherry blossoms when they're in town. This pattern came about when I came across a Buddhist monk wearing the most wonderful saffron-colored knit hat at the White House on a beautiful Friday afternoon last spring. I couldn't resist documenting the hat, and I knew I had to have one of my own. I found the perfect saffron yarn (Malabrigo's colorway called "Sunset") and reverse-engineered the hat. The pattern name comes from the story that Buddhist monks' robes should be the amber or yellow of the kanikara flower. (http://www.khandro.net/TibBud_colours.htm)
This pattern is fairly simple. However, to maintain the pattern as much as possible, the decreases are structured a bit unusually. The stitch pattern is completely reversible until the decreases near the top, which wil show a minimally-discernible right side and wrong side. Knit with a heavy worsted wool yarn, the texture is dense and squooshy (that's a word!) and will keep your ears warm even if you're visiting Tibet. Traditional colors for the hat would match the robes worn by monks in various Buddhist disciplines - deep red or amber, saffron yellow, charcoal gray, or black.
Gauge
Gauge in this pattern is 4.5 sts/inch in pattern. However, the pattern stitch is very stretchy and forgiving, So gauge is not critically important. The pattern is written for a medium-sized head - if you prefer a larger or smaller size, increase or decrease the number of stitches by multiples of 6.
Materials
Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted ( $100\%$ merino, 210 yds/192 m, 3.53 oz/100g) - roughly 2/3rds of a skein Needles: US 9 or size needed to obtain correct gauge
Pattern Notes
Slipped stitches: unless otherwise noted in the pattern, always slip as if to purl.
SSK:Ihighly recommend using the "improved" version of the SSK decrease - slip the first stitch as if to knit, slip the second stitch as if to purl, then knit both stitches together through the back loop. Stitch Pattern (multiple of 6 sts): Row 1: $^{*}\mathsf{k}\tau$ , sl 1 wyif, $\mathsf{p}4^{*}$ Row 2: \*sl 1 wyib, p1, $k4^{*}$
Directions
Cast on 90 stitches, placing a marker to note the beginning of the round Work the stitch pattern until the hat measures $5^{\prime\prime}$ tall from the cast-on row. (lf you want to be able to fold up the brim of your hat, add $3^{\prime\prime}$ On the next Row 2, place markers every 12 stitches. This willeave one 6 stitch section - let's callthat Section B. I willtell you on each decrease what to work in Section B. To keep the pattern consistent, ll decreases willoccur on a Row 1. The alternating rows will be worked as a Row 2, in pattern, maintaining the slipped stitches and the garter stitch section. Decrease #1: ${}^{*}\!\mathbf{k}\!\,7$ , sl1 wyif, pl, p2tog, p1, k1,sl 1 wyif, $\mathsf{p}4^{*}$ (repeat from \* to \*). Section B: k1, sl 1 wyif, p1, p2tog, p1. Work Row 2 in pattern. Decrease #2: ${}^{*}\!\mathbf{k}\!\,7$ , sl 1 wyif, p3, k1, sl 1 wyif, p1, p2tog, p1\* (repeat from \* to \*). Section B: k1, sl 1 wyif, p3. Work Row 2 in pattern. Decrease #3:\*k1, sl1 wyif, p1, p2tog, k1, sl1 wyif $\mathsf{p}3^{*}$ (repeat from \* to \*). Section B: k1, sl 1 wyif, p1, p2tog. Decrease #4: \*k1, sl 1 wyif, p2, k1, sl 1 wyif, p1, p2tog\* (repeat from \* to \*). Section B: k1, sl 1 wyif, p2. Work Row 2 in pattern. Decrease #5: \*k1, sl1 wyif, p2tog, k1, sl 1 wyif, $\mathsf{p}2^{*}$ (repeat from \* to \*). Section B: k1, sl 1 wyif, p2tog. Work Row 2 in pattern. Decrease #6:\*k1, sl 1 wyif, p1, k1 sl 1 wyif, p2tog\* (repeat from \* to \*). Section B: k1, sl 1 wyif, p1. Work Row 2 in pattern. Decrease #7: \*k1, p2tog, k1, sl 1 wyif, p1\* (repeat from \* to \*). Section B: k1, p2tog. Row 2: \*sl 1 wyib, p1, sl 1 wyib, p1, k1\* (repeat from \* to \*). Section B: sl 1 wyib, p1. Decrease #8: \*k1, p1, k1, p2tog\* (repeat from \* to \*). Section B: k1, p1. Row 2: \*sl 1 wyib, p1\* (repeat from \* to \*). Section B: sl 1 wyib, p1. Decrease #9: \*SSK, k1, p1\* (repeat from \* to \*). Section B: SSK NEXT ROW - Decrease #10: \*k1, SSK\* (repeat from \*to \*)。 Section B: k1. You should have 15 stitches left on the needle at this point. Cut the yarn and draw it through the remaining stitches. Weave in ends, block if desired.
