STITCH ROUND Lightweight crochet shorts with a two-tone shaped body
15 rounds to tick off for drapey summer crochet shorts with a snug waistband.
- Skill
- Intermediate
- Rounds
- 15 rounds
- Yarn weight
- Light
- Time
- 4-6 hours
Intermediate
What the original page called it. Nothing here is graded a second time.
15 rounds
Each one gets its own line, with a box beside it to tick as you go.
Light
What the sample was made in. Any weight works — the size moves with it.
About this pattern
This is a pair of crochet shorts built from three parts: a 5-round waistband, a 6-round body, and two 4-round leg holes. The waistband goes first and sets the fit, the body grows from it, and the legs get separated and finished last. Nothing here is fiddly — it is a straightforward single crochet and half double crochet build, with the shaping doing all the work.
Confident-beginner friendly: if you can single crochet, half double crochet, chain, and join a round, you have every skill this pattern asks for. The only genuinely new ideas are shaping with increases and joining the front and back to form the leg openings — both explained as you go. It's a relaxed weekend project for most makers, and the body rows go quickly once you settle into a rhythm.
What goes wrong
- Waistband worked too loose A relaxed waistband stretches further with wear and ends up sagging. Make it genuinely snug while working the chain rounds, since it loosens slightly once worn.
- Losing track of increase points four increase points active at once in the body, it is easy to skip one and skew the shaping. Mark each of the four spots with a stitch marker and check all four every round.
- Skipping the fit checks This pattern is fit-as-you-go, so skipping the try-on moments means problems surface too late. Try the shorts on after the waistband, again mid-shaping, and once more before the leg rows.
Yarn, hook and the rest
Copied from the source pattern's own materials list.
- Yarn — a lightweight summer yarn in three shades. The original uses Yarn Bee Pearl Spun Low Fiber in Matcha Mondays (light green), Moss (darker green), and Pearl. The two greens do the main body; Pearl is lovely held back as an accent — for example a contrast round on the waistband, a stripe at the leg cuffs, or a final edging row.
- Crochet hook — size to match your yarn. Check your yarn's ball band for the recommended hook and use that as your starting point, then adjust to get a fabric you like (see the gauge note below).
- Scissors
- Safety pins or stitch markers — for marking your center-front and center-back points before you create the leg holes.
- A quick word on gauge: because these are a fitted garment, it's worth crocheting a small swatch in your chosen yarn and hook before you commit. You don't need a precise number — you're checking that the fabric has a little drape and isn't stiff. A breathable, slightly relaxed fabric wears so much better in the heat.
- Yarn substitution — you don't need the exact yarn, just the right kind: a lightweight, breathable cotton, cotton blend, or bamboo in a light/sport-to-DK weight gives the best drape. Match your hook to whatever yarn you choose and adjust up or down a hook size until the fabric feels right, not stiff, not gappy. Favor smooth, plied yarns for your first pair since they show stitches clearly, and skip heavy worsted acrylics, which wear hot and lose the breezy feel.
Progress tracker
0 of the 15 rounds on this page are ticked.
The pattern, round by round
Kept in the order and the wording the source used. Tick a round as you finish it; the ticks stay on this device.
Waistband
This strip is your foundation — let your own waist measurement be the guide for its length.
Round 1
Make a slip knot and chain 7.
Round 2
Skip the top loop and insert your hook into the sixth chain; yarn over and pull through, then yarn over again and pull through both loops on the hook; continue working in this way, repeating until the band fits snugly around your waist.
Round 3
Join the ends into a ring: insert your hook through the top loops of both ends, yarn over, and pull through both.
Round 4
Chain 1 and single crochet around the entire waistband.
Round 5
Work two more full rounds of single crochet around the band.
Body of the Shorts
When switching from the lighter green to the darker green, complete the last stitch of the old color by drawing the new color through the final loops for a crisp, gap-free color change.
Mark each of the four increase points (both sides, center front, center back) with a stitch marker to keep shaping symmetrical.
Weave in color-change tails as you go, crocheting over them for an inch or two.
Round 1
Join the lighter green (Matcha Mondays) and work one round of single crochet.
Round 2
Switch to the darker green (Moss), chain 2, and half double crochet into each stitch around.
Rounds 3–4
Increase on each side over the next 2 rows to begin widening the body.
Rounds 5–6
Work 2 rows even (no increases).
Rounds 7–18
Over the next 12 rows, increase at four points — both sides plus the center of the front and the center of the back. This is what shapes the hips and seat.
Rounds 19–29
Finish the body with 11 rows of half double crochet with no increases, working to your desired length.
Leg Holes
Round 1
Lay the shorts flat and mark the center points on the front and the back, tuck in any yarn tails to prep the piece for joining, then make a slip knot and use your hook to connect the front and back centers; chain 9 (adjust this for your body — a longer chain gives a roomier crotch, a shorter one a closer fit).
Round 2
Connect that chain to the opposite side, chain 1, and half double crochet around the leg opening.
Round 3
Repeat the same join and chain for the second leg.
Round 4
Add rows to each leg to build the cuffs — 3 rows is a good starting point, but work more or fewer to suit you.
Join
Step 1Tie off all your yarns.
Step 2Weave in every loose end securely.
Step 3Try them on and admire your handmade summer shorts.
Finish
- Tie off each yarn tail once its section is complete rather than leaving several hanging to deal with at once.
- Weave in every end, running color-change tails through a few inches of stitches so they stay put under stretch.
- Try the finished shorts on before calling them done, checking the waistband snugness and leg cuff length one last time.
Bigger or smaller
- Larger
- Use a bigger hook relative to the yarn or go up a yarn weight; both loosen the gauge and produce a roomier, drapier fabric throughout the waistband, body, and legs.
- Smaller or larger around the waist
- Make the waistband chain and rounds match the actual waist measurement rather than a fixed length, since the whole body of the shorts follows from that starting band.
- Longer or shorter legs
- Add a few extra no-increase half double crochet rows in the body for longer, Bermuda-style shorts, or work fewer rows for a shorter cut; add or subtract leg rows at the end to adjust the cuffs.
Photographs of this one
Every photograph on this page was taken by whoever published the pattern, and they are printed in the order the source listed them.
FAQs
Asked and answered
These answers came from whoever first published the pattern, kept word for word.
What hook and yarn should I actually use?
Start with whatever hook your chosen yarn's ball band recommends, then adjust until the fabric feels soft with a little drape. A lightweight cotton or cotton blend is the most comfortable choice for summer. A quick gauge swatch is the best two minutes you can spend.
How do I get the right fit — there aren't many numbers?
These are designed to be fitted as you go rather than by a size chart. The waistband does most of the work, so make it snug to your true waist, then try the shorts on at each stage. The chain across the crotch (the chain 9 step) is adjustable, so lengthen or shorten it to fine-tune the seat.
Can I make them longer or shorter?
Absolutely. The length lives in the no-increase half double crochet rows of the body — add rows for more coverage, remove rows for a shorter cut. Add or subtract leg rows at the end to lengthen or shorten the cuffs.
My waistband feels loose or wants to curl. What can I do?
A loose band is usually a snugness issue — if you can, frog back and work it tighter, since it will stretch slightly with wear. To keep it secure, thread elastic or a drawstring through the band. A light blocking at the end also helps the edge relax and lie flat.
Are these really beginner-friendly?
Yes — the stitches are just single and half double crochet, plus chains and joins. The two parts that feel new are the shaping increases and joining the front and back to form the leg holes. Use stitch markers for the increase points and read those steps slowly, and you'll be fine.