Crochet Mesh Sided Shorts For Stylish Wearables

Crochet Mesh Sided Shorts are a fun and stylish item to make! These shorts with airy mesh sides are perfect for relaxing on warm days, hanging out at home, or showing off your crochet skills with a unique accessory. Their lightweight and breathable design makes them not only functional but a cool, creative addition to your wardrobe.

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With a simple crochet technique, you can design your own fitted waistband, neat mesh sides, and comfortable leg holes. You’ll feel proud creating a crochet mesh sided shorts that’s made to suit your unique measurements, ensuring the perfect fit. You don’t need advanced crochet skills, just patience and love for crafting something beautiful with your hands.

Credit Kittie crochets

Step-by-Step Pattern

Materials

To make these crochet mesh-sided shorts, you’ll need the following:

Yarn: 100% acrylic yarn (recommended: Seagull in blue). Choose a color of your preference.
Hook size: 5.5 mm crochet hook
Other tools:
- Measuring tape
- Pair of scissors
- Stitch markers (or a small piece of yarn in a contrasting color)

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Pattern Instructions

Step 1: Foundation (The Waistband)

Begin by using your measuring tape to measure the hips of the person for whom the shorts are intended. For this tutorial, the measurement is 40 inches.
Make a chain long enough to stretch to your hip measurement. For a 40-inch measurement, keep chaining until the chain reaches the desired length.
Join the chain into a circle with a slip stitch, ensuring the chain does not twist.
Chain 1 and turn your work.

Step 2: Create the Ribbed Waistband

To form the waistband, alternate Front Post Double Crochet (fpdc) and Back Post Double Crochet (bpdc) stitches.
- For the first row, alternate between fpdc and bpdc in each stitch around.
Join at the end of the row with a slip stitch, then chain 1 and turn.
For the second row (and subsequent rows), continue placing fpdc where there was a fpdc in the previous row, and bpdc where there was a bpdc.
Repeat the ribbing pattern for several rows, creating the desired height for the waistband.

Step 3: Build the Body of the Shorts

Fold the waistband in half to locate the sides of the shorts. Use a stitch marker or contrasting yarn to mark 4 inches from the center of each side. These will be your mesh sections.
Work double crochets (dc) around in every stitch, skipping the marked mesh areas.Step 4: Create the Mesh Sides
Start at a marked point. In the first stitch, place a double crochet.
Chain 5 and skip 2 stitches. Slip stitch into the third stitch.
Repeat the following pattern:
- Chain 5, skip 2 stitches, slip stitch into the third stitch.
Continue the mesh section until you reach the other marked point. Finish with a double crochet.

Step 5: Build the Mesh Rows

Turn your work and chain 3 (for rows starting with chain 5 in the previous row, begin with chain 3 instead).
Continue placing mesh rows, alternating between starting with chain 3 and chain 5, as follows:
- Chain 3 rows: Begin and end with a chain 3 at the mesh section.
- Chain 5 rows: Begin and end with a chain 5 at the mesh section.
Work until the mesh section and body of the shorts measures 8 inches.

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Step 6: Divide for the Legs

Locate the center bottom of the shorts. Count the total number of double crochets in the row and divide by 2 to determine the middle (e.g., 37 stitches = 18.5 for each leg).
For the left leg:
- Attach yarn to the center bottom of the shorts and chain 10 (small/medium size) or 15 (large size).
- Join to the other side of the leg opening and slip stitch to join.
- Work in the round, placing double crochet stitches around.
- Crochet mesh rows as done for the body, alternating chain 3 and chain 5 rows.
- For the final row, fill the mesh with double crochets (3 dc in chain-5 spaces, 1 dc in chain-3 spaces).
Repeat for the right leg.