Modern Rib Hat in Spud & Chloe - Downloadable PDF

Modern Rib Hat by Susan B. Anderson – Free Knitting Pattern in Spud & Chloë Yarn

The Modern Rib Hat is a free, beginner-friendly knitting pattern designed by Susan B. Anderson and published by Spud & Chloë. This cozy, classic ribbed hat is worked seamlessly in the round from the bottom up, making it an ideal project for knitters who are just learning to work with circular needles and double-pointed needles. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF directly from Spud & Chloë.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a ribbed knit hat sized to fit a range of head circumferences, from baby through large child, teen, and adult. The four sizes are designed to fit heads measuring approximately:

• Baby: 13–15 inches
• Toddler: 16–18 inches
• Small Child: 18–20 inches
• Large Child / Teen / Adult: 20–22 inches

The finished hat has a clean, modern ribbed texture from brim to crown, with a neatly gathered top closure. The pattern also includes instructions for a striped colorwork version, making it versatile for both solid and multi-color knitters.

Techniques Used

• Bottom-up construction: The hat begins at the cast-on edge (the brim) and is worked upward toward the crown, which is a straightforward and intuitive method for beginners.
• Seamless knitting in the round: Stitches are cast on and joined to work continuously in the round using a circular needle, eliminating any seaming.
• Transitioning to double-pointed needles: As the crown decreases reduce the stitch count, the work is transferred from the circular needle to a set of double-pointed needles, a fundamental skill for hat knitting.
• Ribbing: The body of the hat is worked entirely in a k2, p1 rib pattern, which creates a stretchy, textured fabric that hugs the head comfortably.
• Crown shaping with decreases: A series of structured decrease rounds shape the top of the hat, drawing the stitches inward to a tight close. The yarn tail is then threaded through the remaining live stitches and pulled snug to seal the crown.
• Striped colorwork (optional version): The striped variation involves switching yarn colors every 8 rounds, an accessible introduction to working with multiple colors in the round without any stranding or colorwork complexity.

Stitches Used

• Knit (k) – the foundational knitting stitch
• Purl (p) – used in combination with knit stitches to create the rib pattern
• k2, p1 rib – the primary stitch pattern repeated throughout the body of the hat
• k2tog (knit two together) – a right-leaning decrease used during crown shaping
• p2tog (purl two together) – a purl-side decrease used during crown shaping

The decrease rounds follow a logical, step-by-step sequence that gradually reduces the stitch count while maintaining the visual flow of the rib pattern into the crown, giving the finished hat a polished, professional appearance.

Materials – Yarn

The pattern calls for Spud & Chloë Sweater yarn, an aran weight yarn composed of 55% superwash wool and 45% organic cotton, available in 100-gram, 160-yard skeins. This fiber blend offers the warmth and elasticity of wool alongside the breathability and softness of organic cotton, making it a wonderful choice for children's and family knitwear.

• 1 skein is sufficient for the two smallest sizes (baby and toddler)
• 2 skeins are required for the two largest sizes (small child and large child/teen/adult)

For the striped version, the pattern specifies working the first 6 inches of the hat in