A simple mosaic knitting pattern
Carousel Beanie meet the Ribbon Candy Beanie! The combo of the carousel striped brim and the mosaic knitting body of the hat is colorful and cute, don’t you think?
Read on for yarn and needle recommendations and the free pattern!
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Skill Level → adventurous beginner
Skills to know ↓
This pattern uses a relatively newly popular technique in knitting called Mosaic Knitting. It looks like fair isle, but instead of using 2 strands of yarn each row, you use only one. Then with a combination of slip stitches and knitting you create a colorful stranded knit project but with only 1 color per row. It’s like magic!
Here is a great book with mosaic knitting patterns and tutorials:
Related Post → The Carousel Beanie
Needles
Knitpicks Caspian Options Short Interchangeable Circular Set
Size 8 and size 10 needles with a 16″ cord and a gauge of 16 stitches per 4 inches for stockinette stitch in the round. Check your gauge!
Related Post → The Boston Kid Beanie
Pattern
The Ribbon Candy Beanie → A Simple Mosaic Knitting Pattern
I used size 8 and 10 needles with this worsted weight yarn. Be sure to check your gauge! My gauge for this yarn with size 8 needles is 4 stitches per inch, or 16 stitches per 4″. I am a loose knitter so you may want to go up a size in needles. Gauge is very important!
For baby/ toddler/ kid/ teen/ women/ men:
Multiply your swatched stitches per inch by 12 (16,16,20, 20, 24) and that’s how many stitches to cast on for your hat.
For this hat, I am knitting a woman’s size hat, so the multiplier is 20. I swatched and with size 8 needles, I knit 4 stitches per inch. So in this case I cast on 80 stitches (4 x 20) with the Main Color.
Join for knitting in the round.
Knit 7 rows.
Switch to size 10 needles. The slip stitch pattern is a tighter knit.
Row 1: with coordinating color, knit 1, slip 1* around
Row 2: with main color, slip 1, knit 1 * around
Continue for a total of 5″ from cast on edge.
Join the Lining of the Brim
Pick up stitches from the original cast on edge with another same size circular needle. Fold lining and brim together. Join the cast on edge to the live stitches by knitting one stitch off of each of the two left needles.
Body of the hat
Follow this 4 row repeat:
Rows 1 and 2: Knit around with main color (MC)
Rows 3 and 4: Pick up coordinating color (CC) and Knit 3, Slip 1 to the end of the row
Continue mosaic knitting by knitting these 4 rows over and over until hat measure 6″ (7, 7.5, 7.5, 8, 8.5) ending on Row 4.
Begin decreases:
With MC:
K2, K2tog * repeat to end of round
Knit
With CC:
K1, K2tog *repeat to end of round
Knit
Cut CC yarn.
With MC:
K2tog* repeat to end of round
Knit * repeat to end of round
K2tog* repeat to end of round
Continue these 2 rows until 12 stitches left. Cut yarn and using a tapestry needle, thread through the live stitches and pull tight. Secure.
Pompom – Optional but fun
Pin it!
