Ribbing frustrations

I started reIknitting Joel's hat on 2 circular needles. When i made the hat the first time my ribbing partially looked liked ribbing. This time not at all! One half looks like sideways garter stitch and the other half looks like a jumbled mess! What am I doing wrong!!!??? I know how to make the knit stitch and the purl stitch. I put the yarn in front for purling and in the back for knitting. I am seriously consdering ripping it out and trying it on straight needles. I will have to buy a pair since I don't have a pair of size 5's. Well, actually I do but they are metal and I prefer to not use them unless I have to. If that doesn't work, I will either give up or try to find a pattern that doesn't have ribbing in it. The first hat I did on size 7's, this hat I am trying size 5's. I am beyond frustrated. How can something so simple be so hard? I may have to break down and take a class on how to knit a hat or rather how to do ribbing with knitting a hat as a bonus. My hat pattern works-I knit the hat I just can't do ribbing!