Slip Stitch Button Hat in Plymouth Gina Chunky - F569

Slip Stitch Button Hat in Plymouth Gina Chunky – Pattern F569

This free downloadable knitting pattern from the Plymouth Yarn Design Studio produces a stylish, textured chunky hat featuring a distinctive slip stitch brim and charming button embellishments. Pattern number F569, it is offered free with a yarn purchase and is suitable for knitters who are comfortable working both flat and in the round, as well as executing basic joining techniques.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a Slip Stitch Button Hat — a cozy, close-fitting knitted hat with approximate finished measurements of 8 inches tall and 21 inches in circumference. The hat features a textured flat-knit brim created with a slip stitch pattern, which is then cleverly joined before transitioning to working in the round for the body and crown. Two decorative buttons are sewn on as a finishing detail, giving the hat a polished, boutique-ready look.

Materials Used

• Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Gina Chunky — 1 skein of 100g, shown in color #103. Gina Chunky is a bulky-weight yarn that works up quickly and produces a warm, substantial fabric ideal for cold-weather accessories.
• Needles: A 16-inch US size 10 (6mm) circular needle for the brim and body, plus US size 10 double pointed needles (DPNs) for working the crown decreases.
• Notions: 1 stitch marker, and 2 buttons measuring 1.00 to 1.25 inches in size for decoration.

Gauge

The recommended gauge is 14 stitches over 4 inches worked in stockinette stitch on US size 10 (6mm) needles. Achieving correct gauge is important to ensure the hat fits with the intended 21-inch circumference.

Techniques Used

• Flat knitting on a circular needle: The brim is worked back and forth in rows rather than in the round, taking advantage of the circular needle's length for ease of handling with a larger stitch count.
• Three-needle join / working stitches together from two needles: A clever construction technique is used to close and shape the brim. The last 10 stitches of a right-side row are slipped onto a double pointed needle and held behind the first 10 stitches of the next row. These stitches are then worked together one at a time — one from the front needle paired with one from the back needle — reducing the stitch count from 82 to 72 stitches and creating a neat, seamless seam reminiscent of a three-needle bind-off used mid-project.
• Working in the round: After the brim join, a stitch marker is placed and the hat continues in the round in stockinette stitch for the body and crown.
• Crown shaping with double pointed needles: As the stitch count decreases during crown shaping, the work transitions from the circular needle to double pointed needles to accommodate the smaller circumference.
• Button attachment: Two decorative buttons are added as a finishing step, enhancing the visual interest of the brim area.

Stitches Used

• Knit stitch — used throughout the brim rows and as the foundation of stockinette stitch in the body and crown.
• Slip stitch with yarn in front (WYIF): The defining textural element of the brim. On wrong-side rows, stitches are slipped purlwise with the yarn held in front, creating elongated, raised floats on the right side of the fabric. This technique adds visual texture and a subtle woven appearance to the brim without requiring complex colorwork or cabling.
• Stockinette stitch (in the round): The body and crown of the hat are worked in stockinette — knitting every round when working circularly — producing a smooth, classic knitted surface.
• Decrease stitches for crown shaping (implied by the transition to DPNs and reduction of stitches toward the top of the hat).

Pattern Construction Overview

The hat begins with a cast on of