Make This Gorgeous Ombre Moss Stitch Beanie for Free

Updated: 24 October 2026 by Sylwia (MyCrochetory)

This moss stitch beanie exists because of a cowl. My Ombre Moss Stitch Cowl came first, and once it was finished, a matching hat was the natural next step to complete the set.

And that cowl started with a knitted project I couldn’t stop looking at. It had a soft ombre in three colors, and where two colors met, they mixed into tiny stripes, so I went looking for a way to get the same fade with a hook.

The moss stitch was the answer. This beanie uses the same trick round after round, so a purple brim slowly turns pink and then cream at the top.

There was one funny problem, though. I always say I don’t have a hat head, because most store-bought hats are too small for me, and a crochet hat is different because you can add stitches and rounds until it fits.

So below I’ll show you how the ombre works, how the brim goes on and how to make the hat fit your head too. Want to start right away? Jump to the free moss stitch beanie pattern.

The ad-free, printable PDF of the Ombre Moss Stitch Beanie is on Etsy and Ravelry.

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How the ombre works in this moss stitch beanie

Three colors and not one hard stripe. The ombre in this moss stitch beanie comes from a simple color diagram, where each round has its own color and every new shade comes in slowly.

Where two colors meet, you switch back and forth between them for a few rounds. The moss stitch then mixes them into tiny dots, and from a step away your eye reads them as one soft fade.

You can also flip the order. In the photos with the cowl, the colors run the other way, with cream at the brim and purple at the top.

All those color changes don’t have to mean a pile of yarn ends. The first version of my cowl was worked flat, and every change meant cutting the yarn and weaving in one more end.

Then I realized that joined rounds are neater and easier, and the moss stitch looks the same on both sides anyway. So this beanie is worked in rounds, and you simply carry the color you’re not using along the inside until the diagram asks for it again.

Is the moss stitch beanie hard to crochet?

If you can work a single crochet and a chain, you already know every stitch in this hat. The moss stitch beanie is just sc and ch 1, worked into the spaces of the round below.

So why is it marked intermediate? You start with a long chain, join it into a ring without twisting it and work straight up, and the tricky part is the start of each round, because the beginning ch2 works a little differently every other round.

To help with that, the pattern tells you after each round what your last stitch should be, so you can check yourself before you join. Testers also worked through the whole pattern before I published it.

There are no increases and no decreases, so the body is a simple tube that you close at the top at the end. If the moss stitch is new to you, my moss stitch tutorial shows it in rows, in joined rounds and in a spiral.

The ribbed brim goes on last

Most hats start at the brim, and this one ends there. You crochet the brim sideways in back loop single crochet and join it to the bottom edge with slip stitches as you go.

This is my favorite way to add ribbing. There’s no sewing at all, and the finished edge looks neat and elegant.

I switch to a smaller 2.5 mm hook for it, so the brim is firmer than the body and holds the hat in place. I also start the brim at the back of the hat, so the spot where the first and last rows meet is harder to see.

My crochet ribbing tutorial shows three types of ribbing and how to join them to your piece, if you want to see it with photos first.

How to make the moss stitch beanie fit your head

Remember my hat head? This is where a crochet hat wins. The moss stitch beanie comes in one size with a slouchy fit, but you decide how big it really gets.

For a longer, slouchier hat, add more rounds to the body, and for a shorter one, work fewer. To change the width, start with any even number of chains, and keep in mind that a bigger hat needs a bit more yarn.

With a different yarn, make a gauge swatch first. Ten minutes on a swatch is way more fun than frogging a whole hat.

Yarn for your moss stitch beanie

Here comes the sad part. I made my moss stitch beanie in DROPS BabyAlpaca Silk, and I’d still pick it for this hat, but it’s not made anymore.

The alpaca and silk blend gave the fabric a soft feel and a little shine. So for a substitute, look for a soft sport weight yarn with about 183 yd per 1.75 oz (167 m per 50 g), in three shades that sit close to each other.

I always choose soft, non-itchy yarn for anything worn against the skin, and a hat sits right on your forehead. You’ll need about 84 yd of Yarn A, 95 yd of Yarn B and 77 yd of Yarn C.

Alpaca, silk and other animal fibers do best with wet blocking. I soak the hat, shape it, pin it to a mat and let it dry.

Not ready to start yet? Save the moss stitch beanie to your Pinterest board so it’s there when the cold days come.

Free moss stitch beanie crochet pattern

• Get the ad-free, printable PDF with a stitch chart here on Etsy or here on Ravelry.
• Add this pattern to your Ravelry queue.
• Pin it for later.

Copyright 2018 – 2026 MyCrochetory. All rights reserved. This pattern is the property of Sylwia Kawczyńska @MyCrochetory. Please DO NOT sell the pattern or claim it as your own. The pattern is for personal use only and may not be translated or reproduced in another language. Please respect my rights and DO NOT share or publish this pattern anywhere without my permission.

The crochet hat you make following this pattern is yours, and you are free to sell it, as long as you credit MyCrochetory as the original designer. For more information, please read the Terms Page.

Materials & Tools

• Yarn: DROPS BabyAlpaca Silk (70% alpaca, 30% silk, 50 g/167 m) in 3 colors: approx. 23 g (84 yd) of Yarn A heather (4088), approx. 26 g (95 yd) of Yarn B light old pink (3250), approx. 21 g (77 yd) of Yarn C powder (1306). This yarn is discontinued, so use any soft sport weight yarn with a similar yardage.
• Hooks: 3.5 mm (US E/4, UK 9) and 2.5 mm (US C/2, UK 12). Adjust the hook size if needed to get the correct gauge.
• Tapestry needle (to weave in the yarn ends).
• Scissors.

Level

Intermediate. If you don’t know how to work the moss stitch in rounds and how to change colors, check out my moss stitch tutorial.

Size after blocking

One size: 54 – 56 cm / 21 – 22″ circumference. Length from the bottom of the brim to the top: about 24 cm / 9.5″.

Gauge after blocking

Hat body: 24 sts and 26 rounds = 10 x 10 cm (4 x 4″) in moss stitch.

Notes

• The pattern uses US crochet terms.
• The beanie is worked in joined rounds without cutting the yarn after each round.
• For a slouchier look (more height), add more rounds to the body. For a shorter hat, work fewer rounds.
• The ribbed brim is worked sideways in back loop single crochet and joined to the edge as you go. You can make it wider.
• The body is worked with a 3.5 mm hook and the ribbed brim with a 2.5 mm hook.
• To close the top of the hat, I used the technique shown in this video.

Stitches & Abbreviations (US terms)

ch – chain stitch

st(s) – stitch(es)

sc – single crochet

sl st – slip stitch

BLsc – back loop only single crochet

sp – space

beg – beginning

sk – skip

Instructions in square brackets […] are worked as many times as indicated.

Hat body

Using a 3.5 mm hook, start with Yarn A and follow the color diagram for each round.

Ch 122 and sl st in the first ch to close the round. Be careful not to twist the chain when you join it.

You can also start with any EVEN number of chains to get your desired circumference, but the yarn amounts will change.

Round 1: ch1 (doesn’t count as a st), sc in each ch around, sl st in the first sc to close the round. (122 sc)

Round 2: ch2 (counts as the first ch-1 sp), sc in 2nd st, [ch1, sk 1 sc, sc in next sc] rep until the end of the round. Sl st under the 2nd ch of the beg ch2. (61 sc and 61 ch-1 sps)

The last stitch should be a sc in the last sc.

Round 3: ch2 (counts as the first sc and ch1), [sc in next ch-1 sp, ch1, sk 1 sc] rep until the end of the round. Sl st in the 1st ch of the beg ch2.

The last stitch should be a ch1.

Round 4: ch2 (counts as the first ch-1 sp), sc in first ch-1 sp, [ch1, sk 1 sc, sc in next ch-1 sp] rep until the end of the round. Sl st under the 2nd ch of the beg ch2.

The last stitch should be a sc in the last ch-1 sp.

Rounds 5 – 51: Repeat Rounds 3 – 4 following the color diagram, ending with a Round 3 repeat.

Fasten off and weave in all ends.

Tip: You can skip weaving in all those ends by not cutting the yarn when you finish a round. Carry the other color along the inside of the hat and pick it up with your hook when you need it again.

To close the top of the hat, I used the technique shown in this video.

Hat brim

Use a 2.5 mm hook and Yarn A. With the right side facing, add the ribbed brim to the bottom edge of the hat.

Row 1: Attach the yarn with a sl st anywhere on the bottom edge of the hat (the back is best). Ch 11, starting in the 2nd ch from hook, sc in each ch back to the edge (10 sc). Sl st in the next st of the edge and 1 more sl st in the following st (2 sl sts for joining), ch1, turn.

Row 2: Skip the ch1 and the 2 sl sts, BLsc in each st across (10 BLsc). Turn.

Row 3: ch1 (doesn’t count as a st), BLsc in each st across (10 BLsc). Sl st in the next st of the edge and 1 more sl st in the following st (2 sl sts for joining), ch1, turn.

Repeat Rows 2 – 3 all around the hat until you reach Row 1. Then join the last row to Row 1 with sl sts.

For a wider brim, start with more chains in Row 1. My crochet ribbing tutorial shows how to attach a ribbed brim step by step.

Fasten off, weave in all ends and block your hat.

Finished your beanie? Share it on Instagram with #mycrochetory and tag @mycrochetory so I can see your colors. And if you want the full set, the matching Ombre Moss Stitch Cowl pattern is free too.

Stuck on a round or found a mistake? Ask in my Facebook Group or Ravelry Group, or email me at mycrochetory@gmail.com.

More crochet hat patterns

One hat is never enough once the cold sets in. These free hat patterns use other stitches and other yarn weights, so there’s one for every kind of winter day.

• Duende Hat, a two-color mosaic beanie worked in a spiral, with a ribbed brim, in three adult sizes.
• Siri Herringbone Hat, worked flat in herringbone stitch, seamed and topped with a pom pom. It’s my favorite of all my hat designs.
• Winterberry Chunky Hat, a quick knit-look hat in bulky yarn, sized for toddlers up to adults.
• Fleur de Stripe Hat, waistcoat stitch and back loop single crochet with a folded brim, in 7 sizes.

More moss stitch crochet patterns

Liked working the moss stitch? It’s the base of a few more free patterns on my blog, including the cowl that started it all.

• Ombre Moss Stitch Cowl, the matching cowl with the same three-color ombre and ribbed brims.
• Triangle Moss Stitch Shawl, a beginner-friendly triangle shawl in moss stitch.
• Willow Shawl, a moss stitch triangle made from one gradient yarn cake, finished with picots.
• Bandos Wrap, three moss stitch triangles seamed into one big wrap.

Moss stitch beanie FAQ

Can I make the moss stitch beanie in one color?

Yes. Follow the same rounds and skip the color diagram, and the moss stitch texture will still show.

Is moss stitch the same as linen stitch or granite stitch?

Yes, it’s the same stitch with different names. All three mean single crochet and chain 1 worked into the chain spaces of the round or row below.

Can I make this beanie for a child?

Yes. Start with fewer chains (always an even number) to match the child’s head, and work fewer rounds so the hat is shorter.

Which side is the right side of the moss stitch beanie?

The side facing you while you work the rounds is the right side. Keep it facing you when you attach the brim.