Inpsired by Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Nether Garments from the Knitter’s Almanac, this is a pattern for guys and girls who love to show off their gams in short shorts.

There’s not much else to say about these because they‘re simple and comfortable. Sometimes that’s all you need.

SIZE
Women’s XS[S, M, L, XL] / Men’s S[M, L, 1X, 2X] (shown in size XS for women, S for men)

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Waistband: 24[25.5, 29.5, 32, 36] / 26.5[29.5, 33.5, 36.75, 40.75] inches

Low waist/high hip: 28.5[30.5, 34.75, 37.5, 41.5] / 30.5[34.75, 38.75, 42.75, 46.75] inches

Hip: 35.5[37.5, 42, 44.75, 48.75] / [38, 42, 46, 50, 54] inches

Leg circumference: 18.75[20.25, 23, 25, 28] / 21.5[24.25, 26.5, 30.5, 32.75] inches

Inseam (both women's and men's): 3[3.5, 4, 4.5, 5] inches

MATERIALS
Yarn

Women’s shorts:
Brown Sheep Company Cotton Fleece [80% cotton/20% merino wool; 215yd/197m per 100g skein]
[MC] Putty; 2[2, 3, 4, 5] skeins
[CC] Truffle; 1 skein

Men’s shorts:
Harrisville Designs New England Highland [100% pure virgin wool; 200yd/183m per 100g skein]
[MC] Woodsmoke; 2[3, 3, 4, 4] skeins
[CC] Oatmeal; 1 skein

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
2 US #6/4mm circular needles, recommended lengths as follows:
- Smaller sizes: 16-inch and 24-inch
- Larger sizes: 24-inch and 32-inch
Shorter needle is used for legs, longer needle is used for body.
1 spare short circular needle or set of double-point needles, US #6/4mm or smaller

Notions
Waste yarn
Stitch markers
Cable needle
Yarn needle
Sewing needle
Elastic thread

GAUGE

PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

C4B: Slip next 2 sts to cable needle and hold to back of work; k2 from left needle, k2 from cable needle.

C4F: Slip next 2 sts to cable needle and hold to front of work; k2 from left needle, k2 from cable needle.

C6B: Slip next 3 sts to cable needle and hold to back of work; k3 from left needle, k3 from cable needle.

C6F: Slip next 3 sts to cable needle and hold to front of work; k3 from left needle, k3 from cable needle.

Two variations on the cable panel are given. On the men's shorts shown, the rope cables flanking the center cable rotate inwards; on the women's shorts, they rotate outwards. Either cable panel may be used for both men's and women's shorts.

Cable Panel – Men's Shorts (Worked over 32 sts):
Round 1: P4, C6F, p2, k8, p2, C6B, p4.
Round 2: P4, k6, p2, C4B, C4F, p2, k6, p4.
Round 3: P4, k6, p2, k8, p2, k6, p4.
Round 4: Work as for Round 3.
Round 5: Work as for Round 1.
Rounds 6-8: Work as for Round 3.
Repeat Rounds 1-8.

Cable Panel – Women's Shorts
Round 1: P4, C6B, p2, k8, p2, C6F, p4.
Round 2: P4, k6, p2, C4B, C4F, p2, k6, p4.
Round 3: P4, k6, p2, k8, p2, k6, p4.
Round 4: Work as for Round 3.
Round 5: Work as for Round 1.
Rounds 6-8: Work as for Round 3.
Repeat Rounds 1-8.

2x2 Rib (Worked in the round over a multiple of 4 sts):
All Rounds: [K2, p2] to end.

Working Wraps Together with Wrapped Stitches:
When working rows which follow short rows, work the "wraps" at the turning points of the short rows, together with the stitches they wrap, as follows:
Knit to wrapped stitch. Slip next stitch from left needle to right needle, use tip of left needle to pick up "wrap" and place it on right needle, insert left needle into both wrap and stitch, and knit them together.

Instructions for grafting can be found here.

DIRECTIONS
Note: When only one set of bracketed numbers is presented, it applies for both men's and women's sizes

RIGHT LEG
Using shorter needle and MC, CO 94[101, 115, 125, 140] / 108[121, 133, 152, 164] sts. Place marker and join to begin working in the round, being careful not to twist.

Work in stockinette st until work measures 3[3.5, 4, 4.5, 5] inches or desired inseam length.

Break yarn.

Place first 10[12, 15, 18, 23] / 18[21, 23, 32, 34] sts of next round on waste yarn.
Transfer remaining 84[89, 100, 107, 117] / 90[100, 110, 120, 130] sts to spare needle(s).

LEFT LEG
Using shorter needle and MC, CO 104[111, 125, 135, 150] / 118[131, 143, 162, 174] sts. Place marker and join to begin working in the round, being careful not to twist.

Set-up Round: K43[47, 55, 59, 66] / 48[55, 62, 69, 76], place marker, work Round 1 of Cable Panel, place marker, k29[32, 38, 44, 52] / 38[44, 49, 61, 66].
This round establishes pattern for left leg.

Continue in pattern until work measures 3[3.5, 4, 4.5, 5] inches or desired inseam length. Break yarn.
Place last 10[12, 15, 18, 23] / 18[21, 23, 32, 34] sts of last round worked on waste yarn. 94[99, 110, 117, 127] / 100[110, 120, 130, 140] sts remain. Do not break yarn.

BODY
Join Legs:
Using longer needle, work sts of left leg in pattern, place marker to indicate center front, k sts of right leg, place maker to indicate center back, join to work in the round. 178[188, 210, 224, 244] / 190[210, 230, 250, 270] sts.
Work 10 rounds in pattern.

Decrease Round: K2tog, work in pattern to 2 sts before center front marker, ssk, slip marker, k2tog, k to 2 sts before center back marker, ssk. 4 sts decreased.
Work 2 rounds in pattern.
Repeat these 3 rounds 7 times more, then work Decrease Round once more. 142[152, 174, 188, 208] / 154[174, 194, 214, 234] sts.

Work 0[0, 7, 14, 14] rounds in pattern. Slip sts to waste yarn and try on shorts. Before proceeding, body section of shorts should be 2.25 inches shorter than desired length to top of waistband, in front only (back will still be too short at this point). Adjust length if needed.

Raise Back Waist:
Back waist is raised using short rows. As written, back waist will be approx. 4.25[4.5, 5.5, 6, 6.5] / [3, 3.75, 4.25, 5, 5.5] inches higher than front waist.It's a good idea to try shorts on periodically while working short rows; you may find that you need more or fewer short rows to make shorts fit you perfectly. Ideally, short rows will raise back waist to 2.25 inches less than desired length to top of waistband.

Women's Sizes Only:
Note that when short rows are turned within cable panel, the turning points are worked every 3 sts instead of every 2 sts. If a cable twist falls at the same point as a short row turning (W&T), omit the cable twist.
Row 1 [RS]: K34[38, 46, 50, 57] (to beginning of cable panel), work first 15 sts of cable panel in pattern, W&T.
Row 2 [WS]: Work in pattern to center back marker, p44[48, 56, 60, 67], W&T.
Row 3 [RS]: Work in pattern to 3 sts before previous wrapped st, W&T.
Row 4 [WS]: Work in pattern to 2 sts before previous wrapped st, W&T.
Repeat Rows 3-4 four times more. 68[76, 92, 100, 114] sts across back between last two wrapped sts.

Men's Sizes Only:
Row 1 [RS]: K39[46, 53, 60, 67] (to beginning of cable panel), W&T.
Row 2 [WS]: P78[92, 106, 120, 134], W&T.

All Sizes:
Next Row [RS]: K to 2 sts before previous wrapped st, W&T.
Next Row [WS]: P to 2 sts before previous wrapped st, W&T.
Repeat these 2 rows 8[9, 12, 14, 16] / 9[12, 14, 16, 18] times more. 32[36, 40, 40, 46] / 38[40, 46, 52, 58] sts across back between last two wrapped sts.
K to center back marker, then work 1 round in pattern, working wraps together with wrapped sts.

WAISTBAND
Next Round: [K8, k2tog] 3[3, 4, 5, 5] / 3[4, 5, 6, 6] times, k4[8, 6, 0, 7] / 9[6, 3, 0, 7], remove marker at beginning of cable panel, k2tog, [k1, k2tog] 10 times, remove marker at end of cable panel, [k8, k2tog] 7[8, 9, 10, 11] / 8[9, 10, 12, 13] times, k6[2, 6, 6, 9] / 3[6, 9, 2, 5]. 121[130, 150, 162, 181] / 132[150, 168, 185, 204] sts.

Work 14 rounds in 2x2 Rib, evenly decreasing 1[2, 2, 2, 1] / 0[2, 0, 1, 0] sts in first round. 120[128, 148, 160, 180] / 132[148, 168, 184, 204] sts.

Loosely BO all sts in pattern.

LEG EDGING
Using shorter needle and CC, with RS facing and beginning at center of inner leg, pick up and k 1 st in each CO st around lower edge of right leg. Place marker and join to beging working in the round. 94[101, 115, 125, 140] / 108[121, 133, 152, 164] sts.

Round 1: [K8, k2tog] 9[10, 11, 12, 14] / 10[12, 13, 15, 16] times, k4[1, 5, 5, 0] / 8[1, 3, 2, 4]. 85[91, 104, 113, 126] / 98[109, 120, 137, 148] sts.

Round 2: P all sts.

Round 3: K all sts.

Repeat Rounds 2-3 once more.

Loosely BO all sts purlwise.

Pick up sts around lower edge of left leg in the same way as for right leg. 104[111, 125, 135, 150] / 118[131, 143, 162, 174] sts.

Round 1: [K8, k2tog] 10[11, 12, 13, 15] / 11[13, 14, 16, 17] times, k4[1, 5, 5, 0] / 8[1, 3, 2, 4]. 94[100, 113, 122, 135] / 107[118, 129, 146, 157] sts.
Continue as for right leg.

FINISHING
Weave in ends. Graft held sts together at crotch, leaving long tails of yarn at beginning and end to sew up any holes.

Block as desired. Sew elastic thread once or twice around waist to help waistband retain elasticity

Craig Hunter is a very busy young knitwear and t-shirt designer based in NYC. He loves avant-garde yet subtle and practical design. His knitwear icons are Sandra Backlund and Elizabeth Zimmermann. He is an advocate for machine knitting. And he runs CUBISTLITERATURE.COM.