Shorts Knitting Patterns

A small garment that teaches a lot

Knitted shorts are an underrated project. They are a fraction of the yarn and time of a jumper, and yet they contain almost every garment technique worth knowing: increases and decreases for the crotch shaping, working in the round for legs, short rows to lift the back, picking up stitches for a waistband and a proper cast-off that has to stretch. Finish a pair of baby bloomers and you have rehearsed, in miniature, the skills a full pair of trousers needs. The collection runs from newborn soakers through toddler play shorts and dungaree styles to adult lounge and beach shorts.

What is in the range

• Baby bloomers and soakers — high-waisted, generously cut over a nappy, often with a garter or ribbed leg edge.
• Toddler play shorts — simple pull-on shapes in bright stripes or textured stitch panels, with an elastic or drawstring waist.
• Dungaree shorts — a bib and straps added to a shorts body, usually buttoned so they can be lengthened as a child grows.
• Matching sets — shorts paired with a top, cardigan or sun hat, which is where a single pattern earns its price.
• Adult lounge and beach shorts — relaxed fits in cotton with a drawstring waist.

Yarn: cotton, and why

Shorts are warm-weather clothes, so cotton, cotton-blend and linen yarns dominate this collection, in 4 ply and DK. Cotton is cool, washable and hard-wearing, which matters for anything a toddler will crawl in. Its weakness is that it has no memory: a plain cotton waistband will not hold itself up. That is why almost every good shorts pattern either threads elastic through a folded waistband casing, adds a drawstring, or works the waistband in a wool-blend rib. If you substitute a superwash wool for softness against a baby's skin, be aware it will also relax with wear, and knit the waist a little firmer. Quantities are small: baby bloomers are commonly one or two 50g balls, toddler shorts two or three, adult shorts four to six.

Construction and fit

Two main approaches appear here. Flat-knitted shorts are made as two pieces, front and back, then seamed at the sides and inside legs — straightforward on straight needles and easy to adjust. Seamless shorts are worked from the waist down in the round, split at the crotch, and each leg finished separately; more elegant, no seams to rub, and better for babies. Look for short rows across the back on any pattern designed for a nappy, as they add the depth that keeps the waistband level. Size by hip measurement and body rise rather than by age, and check the stated finished length before you commit.

Waistbands that work

Make the casing before you decide on elastic width, then buy elastic to fit. A folded hem casing — knit the waist twice as deep as you need, fold to the inside and slip-stitch down, leaving a small gap — is the tidiest method and the easiest to re-thread when the elastic tires. Drawstrings look good but come untied on active toddlers; a knitted i-cord threaded through eyelets is the compromise, since it grips better than ribbon. Whatever you do, cast off the waist loosely enough that it stretches over hips.

Finishing and washing

Seam with mattress stitch worked in the project yarn, and use a firm backstitch at the crotch, which takes the most strain. Reinforce button bands on dungaree straps with a small square of ribbon or a knitted facing so the buttonhole does not stretch out. Cotton shorts can be machine-washed cool and will shrink slightly in length on first wash, so add a centimetre. Dry flat, reshaping the legs; hanging shorts by the waistband stretches them out of square.

Shorts knitting questions

How much yarn do knitted baby shorts take? Usually one to two 50g balls of DK cotton, depending on size.

Which yarn is best for summer shorts? Cotton or a cotton-linen blend for coolness and washability; add a stretchy waistband.

Are these suitable for beginners? Flat-knitted pull-on shorts are, particularly baby sizes with simple shaping and a ribbed waist.

Do I need circular needles? Only for seamless patterns worked in the round. Flat versions knit on straights.

How do I stop the waistband stretching? Use a folded casing with elastic, or work the waistband in a firm rib a needle size down.