East and as far as Asia. Fabrication The traditional chechia is made of combed wool, knitted by women. The caps are then sent to the fulling. They are wetted with hot water and soap and trodden under foot by men in order to soak them, so that the stitches of the knitting almost disappear. Then comes the treatment of the thistle, which is used for carding or combing the hat, in order to transform the felt into downy velvet. However, more and more often, the thistle is replaced by a wire brush. It is at this stage of manufacture that the chechia is tinted with its famous vermilion red color. Division of labor and geographical distribution allow its artisanal production on a large scale while maintaining the quality that makes the reputation of the chechia of Tunis. A dozen people, including a third of women, participate in its manufacture in several points of the country chosen according to their human resources or material resources: wool spinning : Djerba and Gafsa knitting : Ariana (by specialized women called "kabbasat") fulling : El Battan (in the waters of the Medjerda) carding : El Alia (of which the thistle is from) dyeing : Zaghouan shaping : Tunis finishes : Tunis Water quality plays an important role, hence the different choices for fulling and dyeing. See also List of headgear References Further reading . . External links . Clothing by country Headgear