This is a pattern for bloomers or “boy shorts”. It is easy to add a skirt for a skirty with bloomers underneath. Or instead of doing the short ribbed legs/cuffs you can also knit this pattern into shorties or longies.

It is suitable for any worsted weight yarn, if you are using it as a cloth diaper cover then non-superwash wool yarns are recommended.

Skills needed are cast on, knit, purl, yarn over, purl 2 together, increases, short rows, kitchener stitch and bind off.

Gauge is 5 spi. Please use needle size required to get gauge. You will also need a needle two sizes smaller than needed to get gauge. For many people this will be US needle sizes 7 and 5.

You will need stitch markers, circular needles in size required to get gauge in 16” and 12” lengths for size 3 month and up and 12” and 9” (or double pointed needles, two circulars, or one long circular needle for magic looping) for the newborn size, circular needles in two sizes smaller than required for gauge in 16” length for sizes 3 months and up and 12” for newborn size, double pointed needles in size for gauge, a yarn needle and if you choose the picot edging a crochet hook.

This pattern has not been tested. That makes everyone who knits it my testers. So if you find any issues, typos, incorrect numbers, etc please let me know so that I can fix the pattern. I have done my best to insure there are no typos and the numbers work out, but I am human and I make mistakes. Some days a lot of them.

Please do not copy this pattern and distribute it either for free or profit. It’s a free pattern, if you know someone that wants a copy please just direct them here to my blog. I cannot control what you do with objects you knit from my pattern so do with them whatever you please. However I do ask that you please give credit to this pattern by name if you sell finished objects made from it.

** Note **
Several people have commented that the gusset should be wider, especially on the larger sizes. If you would like a wider gusset then the fix is simple. Just start your short rows and then in turn the gusset increases about a half to 3/4 of an inch sooner and do more sets of gusset increases so that you have a total of 12, 14, or 16 stitches between the markers. Remember that every baby is shaped differently and may need more or less hip increases, short rows or gusset increases to achieve the perfect fit. If you need help customizing the pattern to get the best fit on your child feel free to send me a message. :)

ERRATA
When doing the initial bum increases the pattern reads “Repeat rows 3 and 4 for a total of 4(4, 4, 8, 6) increase rows. You should now have 72(80, 88, 104, 112) stitches.”

This part should actually read “Repeat rows 3 and 4 for a total of 4(4, 4, 8, 8) increase rows.” The number of final stitches is correct and should remain the same.