Moss Stitch Rib Hat - Free Knitting Pattern for Women in Debbie Bliss Paloma

Moss Stitch Rib Hat – Free Knitting Pattern for Women in Debbie Bliss Paloma

This free downloadable knitting pattern by Debbie Bliss (pattern number DB460) guides knitters through creating a cosy, textured women's hat topped with a playful pompom. Worked flat in a single piece and seamed, the design combines a ribbed brim with an all-over moss stitch rib body, making it a satisfying and relatively quick project in chunky-weight yarn. The finished hat is sized to fit an average adult head and measures approximately 25cm / 10 inches from cast-on edge to crown before shaping begins.

Design Overview

The Moss Stitch Rib Hat is a single-design pattern featuring one style of women's beanie. It is constructed bottom-up, worked flat on straight needles, and finished with a side seam. A 5cm / 2-inch diameter pompom is sewn to the crown as a decorative finishing touch, giving the hat a classic, cheerful look well suited to cold-weather styling.

Construction Method

• Bottom-up construction: The hat begins at the brim with a cast-on of 57 stitches and grows upward toward the crown.
• Worked flat: Knitting progresses in rows on straight needles rather than in the round, keeping the technique accessible to knitters who prefer flat knitting.
• Seamed finish: Once knitting is complete, the side edges are joined to form the hat's cylindrical shape.
• Crown shaping: A series of decrease rows reduces the stitch count progressively from 57 stitches down to 29, then 15, then 8 stitches, after which the yarn is threaded through the remaining stitches and pulled up to close the crown neatly.

Stitches Used

• Moss Stitch Rib: The signature stitch pattern of this hat, formed by a two-row repeat of [P2, K2] to last st, P1 on the right side and [K2, P2] to last st, K1 on the wrong side. This combination creates a richly textured fabric with excellent stretch and structure.
• Knit (K) and Purl (P): The fundamental building blocks of the moss stitch rib pattern throughout the hat body and brim.
• P2tog (purl two together): A decrease stitch used during crown shaping to reduce stitch count while maintaining fabric continuity.
• P3tog (purl three together): A double decrease used in the first decrease row to accelerate crown shaping.
• Skpo (slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over): A left-leaning decrease employed in the final decrease rows to close the crown smoothly.
• Slip 1, K2tog, psso: A central double decrease used to rapidly reduce stitches in the penultimate shaping row.

Techniques Used

• Casting on: 57 stitches are cast on to begin the brim section.
• Needle changes: The brim is worked on 9mm (US 13) needles for a firmer, neater edge; the body of the hat is then continued on larger 10mm (US 15) needles to achieve the correct tension and a slightly more relaxed fabric.
• Graduated crown decreases: Multiple decrease rows, interspersed with plain rib rows, shape the crown in stages for a smooth, rounded finish.
• Pompom making: A 5cm / 2-inch diameter pompom is handmade and sewn securely to the top of the finished hat.
• Seaming: The side edges of the flat-knitted piece are joined after all knitting is complete.

Materials Required

• Yarn: Debbie Bliss Paloma – a chunky-weight yarn, available in 50g / 1¾oz hanks. This pattern requires 2 hanks in Ch