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New Moon Hat
Like an endless inky sky, our elegant New Moon Hat pattern holds the hushed stillness of our new Simply Alpaca yarn. Spun from 100% undyed black alpaca, this rare fiber beautifully captures nature’s deepest tones.
This classic hat immerses you in Simply Alpaca’s midnight depth and singular natural beauty. Because alpaca is a straight fiber rather than crimped, with a softer drape than wool, we refined every detail to give the hat the elasticity and structure it needs to hold its shape through years of daily wear.
You knit your New Moon Hat holding the yarn double in 2×2 ribbing, which gives the fabric a gentle spring for a close, comfortable fit. After working a few inches, you knit two rounds through the back loop, creating a tidy turning edge for the cuff. You then reverse the ribbing so that the columns align when you fold the cuff—knits with knits and purls with purls. Finally, you work converging decreases to shape a beautiful tapered crown.
From rare black alpacas that make their home high in the Peruvian Andes, Simply Alpaca‘s undyed superfine alpaca fiber has a soft hand that still retains some of the fiber’s fascinating natural texture. This supple, 4-ply fingering-weight yarn is wonderfully soft next to your skin and a pleasure on your needles, with a lush halo hovering above its surface.
Beautiful black alpacas, who grow the fiber for our new Simply Alpaca yarn | Photo courtesy of our mill in Peru
Black alpacas make up less than 1% of the global alpaca population and are a lovely warm ebony color, from their fleece and faces to their hooves and eyelashes. Simply Alpaca‘s rich natural color comes straight from these magnificent animals, a warm onyx that drinks in the light almost completely, creating bottomless depths with a subtle luster.
You’ll need three 50-gram balls of Simply Alpaca for an adult-size New Moon Hat or just two for a baby or kid. Cast on for a handknit treasure, shaped by the quiet gravity of this remarkable yarn.
Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 55 thoughtfully designed yarns in nearly every natural fiber and in every spectacular color you can imagine. Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn store, where every skein is created with care and your creativity in mind!
Pattern designed and written by Purl Soho designer, Gaby Bush.
Story written by Andrea Lotz for Purl Soho.
Want to print this pattern? On desktop, find the “print” icon in the right margin, and on mobile, scroll to the end of the pattern for it. Use the on-screen instructions to remove anything you don’t want to print!
Materials
- 2 (2, 3, 3) balls of Purl Soho’s Simply Alpaca, 100% undyed black alpaca yarn. Each ball of this fingering-weight yarn is 164 yards/ 50 grams; approximately 180 (250, 360, 445) yards required.
- US 4 (3.5 mm), 12- or 16-inch circular knitting needles, depending on size you are making
- A set of US 4 double pointed needles OR US 4, 32-inch circular needles for Magic Loop
- Stitch markers, including one unique
GAUGE
37 stitches and 31 rounds = 4 inches in 2×2 rib, unstretched, holding yarn double
SIZES
For help choosing a hat size, check out our complete guide on How to Knit the Right Hat Size!
Baby (Toddler/Kid, Adult Small, Adult Large)
- Finished Circumference: 8¾ (10½, 12, 13¾) inches circumference, comfortably stretching to approximately 14–16 (16–19, 19–22, 22–25) inches
- Finished Height, Cuffed: 6 (7, 8¾, 9¾) inches tall
SAMPLE: We knit the Adult Small size.
NOTE
YARN DOUBLED
You will double the yarn throughout this pattern, pulling two strands together. To do this, pull one strand from the outside of two balls of yarn. If making an Adult size hat using Simply Alpaca, we recommend winding your third ball into two smaller balls and pulling one strand from the outside of each one.
STITCH MULTIPLE
This pattern works over a multiple of 16 stitches.
PATTERN
CUFF
With yarn held double, cast 80 (96, 112, 128) stitches onto circular needles. We used the following cast on (but your favorite method would also work fine)…
Make slipknot on right needle, cast on 1 stitch using Long Tail Cast On Purlwise, *cast on 2 stitches using basic Long Tail Cast On, cast on 2 stitches using Long Tail Cast On Purlwise, repeat from * until all but 2 required number of stitches have been cast on, cast on 2 stitches using basic Long Tail Cast On.
Place a unique stitch marker and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.
Round 1: *P2, k2, repeat from * to end of round.
Repeat Round 1 until piece measures 2 (2½, 3, 3¼) inches from cast-on edge.
Next 2 Rounds: Knit through the back loop to end of round. (NOTE: When you’re done, you will fold the Cuff along the last two rounds.)
BODY
Round 1: *K2, p2, repeat from * to end of round. (Note: The ribbing shifts for the Body so that it will align when you fold the Cuff.)
Continuing in 2×2 rib, repeat Round 1 for 5 (5¾, 7, 7½) inches, or until entire piece measures 1 (1¼, 1¾, 2¼) inch(es) less than desired cuffed height. (NOTE: If you’re making the Toddler/Kid size for a Kid as opposed to a Toddler, work the Body for 6¼ inches.)
CROWN
Decrease Round 1: *Knit 2 together, purl 2 together, repeat from * to end of round. [40 (48, 56, 64) stitches remain]
Next 2 (3, 5, 7) Rounds: *K1, p1, repeat from * to end of round.
Decrease Round 2: *Slip slip knit (ssk), return stitch to left needle, pass second stitch on left needle over first, slip resulting stitch to right needle, p1, repeat from * to end of round. [20 (24, 28, 32) stitches remain]
Next 1 (2, 3, 4) Round(s): *K1, p1, repeat from * to end of round.
Repeat Decrease Round 2. [10 (12, 14, 16) stitches remain]
Next 0 (0, 1, 2) Round(s): *K1, p1, repeat from * to end of round.
Last Round: Ssk to end of round. [5 (6, 7, 8) stitches remain]
Cut yarn and thread tail onto a tapestry needle. Sew tail through remaining stitches two times. Pull taut and bring tail to inside of hat to weave in.
Weave in ends, and gently wet block.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho. We can’t wait to see what you make!
LEARN ABOUT SIMPLY ALPACA + ALL OUR BEAUTIFUL YARNS
Simply Alpaca brings a deep, natural elegance to this project, with its undyed ebony color—inky as a raven’s wing and soft as can be—glowing with a midnight luster. Made from 100% black alpaca, this rare fiber is wonderfully soft in the hand, with a relaxed drape and a lush, touchable halo. Let this very special undyed yarn bring a touch of mystery to whatever you make… And have an unforgettable knitting experience!
More Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our collection of free Simply Alpaca knitting patterns and cast on!
More Fingering-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of fingering-weight yarns (What does fingering-weight yarn mean, really? Our guide to fingering-weight yarn will answer your questions and more!)
- If you want to use a different yarn, be sure to take the time to get the correct gauge. Need help? Check our All About Gauge Tutorial, our Yarn Substitution article, and our Complete Guide To Yarn for lots of helpful information.
More Yarns With Similar Fibers
- Shop alpaca yarn
- Shop undyed yarn
Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our knitting patterns (including tons of free knitting patterns) and knitting tutorials, buy one of our many knitting kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 35 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 100’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!
Is it possible for me to download this article? Thank you.
Hi Shirley!
Thank you for your question! Yes, you can absolutely download the article. If you’re on desktop, click the Print icon in the right column under “Save to Favorites.” On mobile, the Print icon is just below the pattern and above the comments. From there, a window will open where you can delete anything you don’t want (images, materials list, etc.). When you’re ready, click the PDF button to download it to your device, or use Print if you prefer a paper copy.
Hope that helps!
Megan
I adore this pattern (and yarn) but have never made a hat before-or used magic loop.
In this pattern when do I switch from the 16″ circular needles to the 32″ circular needles for magic loop?
Hi Mary!
Thank you for your question, and yay for your first hat — how exciting! You’ll want to switch from the 16″ circular needles to the 32″ circular needles for magic loop right when you begin the crown decreases. After that point, there will be too few stitches to comfortably fit around the shorter needle, so magic loop makes things much easier to manage. If you need a hand along the way, we’re always happy to help!
Happy knitting,
Megan
So excited to knit this new pattern 🙂 Do you know when Simply Alpaca yarn will be back in stock, and/or do you have a suggestion for a substitute yarn that I can use instead? Thanks so much for your help!
Hi Nancy!
Thanks so much for writing in! We’re thrilled you’re excited to cast on! Simply Alpaca is expected to be back in stock around the end of March. If you’d rather not wait, some great substitutes would be Simply Camel, Echo Cashmere, Nigh Fine, or Line Weight, depending on the feel you’re going for. Let us know if you’d like help choosing!
Warmly,
Megan
Hi there,
thank you for such a beautiful pattern. I am thinking to make this beanie, and considering to use the line weight (in lilac). But as I am a newbie, I’d like to ask, on how many of the Line Weight yarn do I need to use to make this beanie?
Thanks!
Nisrina 🙂
Hi Nisrina!
Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re so glad you love the pattern! Great question, and Line Weight is a lovely choice. Since Line Weight has 494 yards per skein, and the beanie requires approximately 180–445 yards total (depending on size), you’ll only need 1 skein of Line Weight to make this beanie in any size. I’d still recommend knitting a small gauge swatch, just to be sure you like the fabric, but yardage-wise you’ll be all set with one skein.
Happy knitting!
Megan
For the cuff, the last two rows knitting through the back, am I supposed to knit every stitch?
Hi Stephanie!
Great question Yes, that’s right. For the last two rounds of the cuff, you knit every stitch through the back loop to the end of the round. Those two rounds create a nice fold line, and once the cuff is finished, you’ll fold it along that point.
Warmly,
Megan
I am at the Decrease Round 2 and am confused. I started with 56 stitches after the first decrease – I followed the instructions of SSK and P1 and repeated until end of the row. I am left with 37 stitches. According to the instructions there should be 28. What did I miss??
Hi Caitlin!
Thanks for writing in! The missing piece could be that Decrease Round 2 actually removes two stitches per repeat, not just one. After the SSK, there’s an extra step where you pass one stitch over another before the p1. If you only worked SSK + p1, or even only did the extra decreases in some places and not others, that could explain why you ended up with 37 instead of 28.
If you’d like a visual check, feel free to email us a photo at [email protected]. We’re happy to help!
Warmly,
Megan
I love the look of this yarn and am wondering if I can use it to knit the classic ribbed hat or the mixed ribbed hat. I don’t know whats going on with that little weird thing at the top of the hat – does anyone else think that looks odd? If i switch to one of these other patterns, how many skeins would i need for an adult large? Thx!
Hi Shannon!
Thanks so much for writing in with your question! I’m so glad you’re loving the look of Simply Alpaca, and we understand that not every pattern will work for every knitter. I’m happy to help you find a right pattern that works for you!
Simply Alpaca is a fingering weight yarn. The Classic Ribbed Hat, originally designed for a DK weight yarn, could work with Simply Alpaca if you hold the yarn doubled, like we do in the New Moon Hat. I would always recommend knitting a gauge swatch to check both that you achieve the gauge listed in the pattern, and to ensure you like the look and feel of the resulting fabric. The pattern for the Classic Ribbed Hat calls for 260 yards…you’d need to double that, so you’d need 520 yards or 4 balls of Simply Alpaca.
The Mixed Rib Hat is knit with Yonder originally, a worsted/aran weight yarn. You would most likely need to hold the yarn tripled. Again, I would recommend swatching. If you achieved gauge holding the yarn tripled, you would need 735 yards (5 balls)… quadrupled would be 980 yards (6 balls).
I hope this helps and you love your hat!
Happy knitting!
Hills
Will this hat hold up it’s shape? I’ve knit a hat before in 100% Alpaca and it seems to keep stretching out. Just curious if this will hold its shape and not stretch out to where it falls down on your face.
Hi Jacqui!
Thanks so much for writing in with your question! I am so glad you’re interested in the New Moon Hat, and I totally understand your concern.
Luckily, we thought ahead! This pattern is written for holding two strands together… this is going to add some extra elasticity to the garment!
I hope this helps! Please feel free to reach out with any other questions you might have!
Happy knitting!
Hills
Love this pattern! Would it be possible to substitute your camel yarn? I’ve been looking for the perfect pattern since I bought it.
Hi Joyce!
Thanks so much for writing in with your question!
I’m so happy to hear you love the New Moon Hat as much as we do, and that you have some Simply Camel to work with… how exciting! I think Simply Camel would work well for this pattern!
I would always recommend knitting a gauge swatch (especially when substituting yarns) just to ensure you like the look and feel of the fabric (and that you can achieve the gauge given in the pattern).
I hope this helps! Please feel free to reach out with any other questions you might have!
Happy knitting!
Hills
Maybe I’m missing it but, what size needles do I use for adult large size, 3.5 mm or 4 mm.
Hi Maryhelen!
Thanks so much for writing in with your question and I’m so glad the New Moon Hat caught your eye!
You’ll need a US 4 (or 3.5 mm) 16-inch circular needle to knit this up in an adult large.
I hope that helps! Please feel free to reach out with any other questions you might have!
Happy knitting!
Hills