General info:

This pattern is property of Gina Mastrianni, organization Gina Making Art, and intended for your personal use only. The pattern can not be shared and garments can not be made from the pattern for resale. Thank you for supporting my small business and making it possible to share my designs with you!

Check out other examples and please tag your own projects with: #Thebalconyshorts on Instagram @gina.making.art

Garment Construction
The shorts are worked in 5 main steps.
First, the left panel is knit flat and includes the left front and left back of the shorts.
Second, the right panel is knit flat and includes the right front and right back of the shorts.
Third, the crotch seams are hand seamed shut with a tapestry needle.
Fourth, stitches are picked up for the waistband and knit in the round.
Lastly, elastic is folded into the waistband and crocheted shut.

Techniques expected to be understood: long tail cast on, knit, purl, bind off, vertical invisible hand seaming (including slopes), pick up stitches, crocheting surface slip stitches, sewing an elastic band together.

These shorts are relatively simple, but include purl stitches 50% of the time. You’ve been warned!

Fit:

These shorts are intended to fit loose like basketball shorts or sweatpants shorts. They can be worn casually or dressed up!

Sizes are based off of Ysolda´s Free Women’s Sizing Chart with a range from Waist 26 - 54 “ & Hips 34 - 62 “

Garment Waist ease:
9.5” (24cm) of positive ease, except 5X size: 9” (22.8cm) and XS: 9.75” (24.8cm)

Garment Leg opening ease:
7.5 (7, 7.75, 7.5, 7.5, 9.25, 9.5, 9.5, 10)“ of positive ease
19.1 ( 17.8, 19.7, 19.1, 19.1, 23.5, 24.1, 24.1, 25.4) cm

Garment Full hip ease:
8.5 (10, 11, 10.25, 9.75, 10.5, 11, 8.5, 9.5)“ positive ease
21.6 (25.4, 27.9, 26, 24.8, 26.7, 27.9, 21.6, 24) cm

Designer notes:

I used the same size needles for ribbing and stockinette and achieved the same gauge, as did most of my test knitters. However, please consider using your smaller needles if your ribbing is generally much looser than your stockinette! Make a test swatch ahead of time to see if you need to use a smaller needle size for ribbing.

Personal opinion in choosing a size: Because the shorts are intended to be so loose, many of the testers technically fit into two sizes and weren’t sure if they should size up or down. I suggest measuring your hips at your fullest hip and your waist at about your belly button. This can help to maintain a more loose fit.

Materials

Pattern written for Rauma Pelini, 50 g / 176 oz = 102 m / 112 yd
(DK weight, 50% linen 50% cotton).

Yardage Estimates: 402 (475, 547, 612, 653) (761, 851, 924, 959) m / 440 (520, 598, 669, 714) (832, 931, 1011, 1049) yds

Needles

3.5 mm (US 4, UK 9) circular needles // Read Designer Note Above

3.25 mm (US 3, UK 10) circular needles for waistband

4 mm (US G6 4.25, UK 6) crochet hook for closing shut the elastic into the waistband. This step can technically be done with knitting needles if a crochet hook is the only thing keeping you from trying this design, however the pattern is written based on using a crochet hook.

Tapestry needle for hand seaming the shorts.

Sewing machine to sew ends of elastic band together (alternative: hand sew with needle and thread)

Elastic band to be sewn into waistband
Elastic length: at least the width of your waist
Elastic Width: XS (S, M, L, 1X, 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X)
1 (1, 1, 1.25, 1.25, 1.25, 1.5, 1.5, 1.5)”
2.5 (2.5, 2.5, 3, 3, 3, 3.5, 3.5, 3.5) cm

Note!: Information on elastic length is NOT specified in pattern. The length of the elastic will be up to the individual knitter!

Testing info:

Other yarn used by Test Knitters include the following:

Small: Rauma Petunia (473 meters, 215g, 4.3 skeins)
Small: Valley Yarns Leverett (425 meters; 220g, 4.7 skeins)
Medium: Lana Grossa Landlust Sommerseide (510 meters, 150g, 3 skeins)
2XL: Cascade Yarn

The alternative yarns are not officially included in the pattern.

Test knit completion in Rauma Pelini: S, M, L, 1XL, 2XL.

Not all sizes have been test knit due to unforeseen circumstances hindering test knit completion and/or no applicants for those sizes. Please feel free to send an email if you are interested in testing the shorts in 3 - 5XL.

Note: the best way to get ahold of me is through email: ginamastrianni@gmail.com.

This pattern was graded by That Metzbowergirl Designs