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Embroidering on Knit Winter Hats

Embroidering on Knit Winter Hats

Stay warm and stylish this winter with an embroidered knit hat

Supplies & Materials:

- Knit Hat

- Medium-weight (2.5 ounce) cutaway stabilizer

- Air-erase pen or tailor's chalk

- Temporary spray adhesive (like Gunold's KK100)

- Needle and thread for hand stitching

Plan where you want to stitch the design. A template is a printout of a design, and it's an excellent tool for placement.


Print a template of the design from embroidery software. Then, arrange that on the hat until the placement looks good to you.


We recommend Wilcom's Hatch software which comes in different levels depending on what you'd like to use the software for. Hatch Organizer works well to view your designs, print dielines and templates, change design colors, and create basic design layouts. (This is an affiliate link, learn more about affiliate links here )

Paper with a blue embroidered leaf design, split into two parts with red guide lines, placed on a dark textured fabric background.

For winter hats like the one we're using, we positioned it on the brim that is folded upwards. 

Black knit winter hat on gray surface with white paper pinned on cuff, showing blue fern-like leaf embroidery design split into two halves.

After the template is positioned where you want to stitch, mark the center point, as well as the vertical and horizontal axis lines.


These marks will be used for hooping.

Paper with blue leaf embroidery design aligned with red grid lines is pinned or placed on a black knit winter hat on a gray fabric surface.

If you are stitching on the brim of a hat that is folded upwards, you'll need to turn the hat inside out. The top of the design should be towards the brim of the hat.

Close-up of a black knit winter hat laid flat on a gray fabric surface with white chalk lines forming a cross on the brim.

Spray a piece of cutaway stabilizer with temporary adhesive and hoop just the stabilizer.

Rectangular embroidery hoop with a gray frame securing white stabilizer fabric stretched flat on a dark surface. No embroidery or additional objects visible.

Slide the hoop inside the hat, lining up the marks on the hoop with the lines placed to center the design on the hat.

Black knit winter hat stretched on a rectangular embroidery hoop with a white stabilizer beneath, placed on a grey surface.

Hand stitch some basting stitches around the outer part of the stitch area of the hat, this will ensure that it stays in place and doesn't move while stitching. Make sure just the top part of the hat is stitched without catching the hat on the back side.

Close-up of a black knit winter hat secured in an embroidery hoop with blue basting stitches visible on the fabric, resting on a gray background.

Place one layer of water-soluble stabilizer on top of the hooped area, taping around the edges to hold it in place. This will help the stitching not sink too far into the fabric.

Black knit winter hat stretched over an embroidery hoop with stabilizer and blue painter's tape around a clear plastic window in the center.

Roll the back of the hat up and around so nothing gets caught on the machine while embroidering. Use clips to keep the excess hat out of the way.

Black knit winter hat folded over and clipped with two plastic clips, masking tape and a plastic sheet securing fabric inside the fold against a gray background.

Embroider the design. Use a size 11 or 75/11 sewing or embroidery needle.

Close-up of a sewing machine embroidering a blue and purple leaf design on black knit fabric secured with blue painter's tape and a plastic stabilizer.

After embroidering, remove the basting stitches, unhoop, and cut the excess stabilizer awa

Blue and purple embroidered leaf pattern on a white tear-away stabilizer, laid on a black knit fabric background.

And here's the finished result: a fun winter hat, ready to add a warm and cozy look to your winter wardrobe.

Black knit winter hat with folded brim, embroidered with a symmetrical design of purple and blue fern-like leaves across the front of the brim, on a gray fabric background.