Aran Cable Crochet Pants

Skill level: Advanced
Craft: Crochet (US terminology)
Fit: Unisex, pull-on, hip-fitted with 0–2" (0–5 cm) positive ease and a cinched drawstring waist. Twin rope cables run down each front thigh and each outer leg; the seat is plain dc for sitting comfort.

Sizes

XS (S, M, L, XL, 2X)

To fit hip: 32–34 (36–38, 40–42, 44–46, 48–50, 52–54)" / 81–86 (91–97, 102–107, 112–117, 122–127, 132–137) cm

Instructions are written for XS with S, M, L, XL, and 2X in parentheses. When only one number is given, it applies to all sizes. Highlight your size throughout.

Finished Measurements

Metric: hip 86.5 (96.5, 106.5, 117, 127, 137) cm; rise 25.5 (26.5, 28, 29, 30.5, 32) cm; inseam 71 (73.5, 76, 76, 78.5, 78.5) cm; ankle 23 (25.5, 28, 30.5, 33, 35.5) cm.

Rise and inseam are easily lengthened or shortened; try on before dividing for the legs and before working cuffs.

Materials

• Yarn: Worsted weight (category 4), 1200 (1400, 1600, 1800, 2100, 2400) yd / 1100 (1280, 1460, 1650, 1920, 2195) m. Cables are yarn-hungry; buy an extra skein if your yarn is inelastic or you add length.
• Hook: Size I/9 (5.5 mm), or size needed to obtain gauge. For a denser, less drapey fabric (recommended for pants), use H/8 (5.0 mm) and re-check gauge.
• Stitch markers (at least 6, 2 distinct colors)
• Yarn needle
• Measuring tape
• Optional: ¾–1" (2–2.5 cm) elastic for the waist, cut to your waist measurement minus 2" (5 cm)

Gauge

16 sts and 8 rows/rounds = 4" (10 cm) in double crochet, blocked.

Work a 6 × 6" (15 × 15 cm) swatch in dc, plus a small cable swatch (8 FPdc with one C8F cross) so you can see how much the posts draw in. Cables are slightly narrower than the same number of dc; the pattern accounts for this visually, not by changing the stitch count. Change hook size to obtain gauge. Pants that miss gauge will not match the hip, rise, or inseam numbers.

Abbreviations (US)

• beg – beginning
• BLO – back loop only
• BPdc – back post double crochet
• ch – chain
• dc – double crochet
• FPdc – front post double crochet
• FPtr – front post treble crochet
• hdc – half double crochet
• PM – place marker
• rep – repeat
• rnd(s) – round(s)
• RS – right side
• sc – single crochet
• sk – skip
• sl st – slip stitch
• st(s) – stitch(es)
• tr – treble crochet
• WS – wrong side

Special Stitches

FPdc: Yarn over, insert hook from front to back to front around the post of the indicated stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop, (yarn over and draw through 2 loops) twice.

BPdc: Yarn over, insert hook from back to front to back around the post of the indicated stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop, (yarn over and draw through 2 loops) twice.

FPtr: Yarn over twice, insert hook from front to back to front around the post of the indicated stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop, (yarn over and draw through 2 loops) 3 times.

C8F (8-st front cable — left cross): Sk next 4 sts, FPtr around each of next 4 sts; working in front of the 4 FPtr just made, FPtr around each of the 4 skipped sts. (8 sts)

C8B (8-st back cable — right cross): Sk next 4 sts, FPtr around each of next 4 sts; working behind the 4 FPtr just made, FPtr around each of the 4 skipped sts. (8 sts)

On non-cross rounds, work FPdc around each of the 8 cable stitches (whether they are FPdc or FPtr from the previous round).

Standing dc: Starting with a slip knot on the hook, yarn over, insert hook in indicated st, complete as dc. (Used to join the second leg.)

Notes

• Body and legs are worked in joined, unturned rounds (RS always facing) so every post stitch sits on the outside. Join with sl st to top of beg ch-3; do not turn.
• Beg ch-3 counts as the first dc of the round. On a cable stitch that falls at the join (it should not, if you start at center back), work a FPdc around the ch-3.
• Move markers up every round. Use one color for center back (CB) / center front (CF) and another for cable panels.
• Maintain the 6-round cable repeat uninterrupted when you split for the legs; note which repeat round you are on.
• Never decrease inside an 8-st cable column. All shaping is in dc stitches, starting at the inner thigh.
• Try the pants on after the waistband + a few body rounds (check hip), again just before the split (check rise), and again as you taper the legs (check inseam and ankle).

Stitch Diagram — 8-st Rope Cable

Each cell is one stitch. Read every round from right to left (RS, in the round). Repeat Rnds 1–6 for length.

        Cable sts (8)          Legend
Rnd 6   4\ 4/   C8F or C8B     4\ 4/  = C8F (left: work 2nd group in FRONT)
        ╲╲╲╲╱╱╱╱               4/ 4\  = C8B (right: work 2nd group BEHIND)
Rnd 5   ││││││││               │      = FPdc
Rnd 4   ││││││││               ●      = dc (background, not shown)
Rnd 3   ││││││││
Rnd 2   ││││││││
Rnd 1   ││││││││   ← start

Left leg cables (front thigh + outer leg): work the Rnd-6 cross as C8F.
Right leg cables (front thigh + outer leg): work the Rnd-6 cross as C8B.
This mirrors the twists toward the outer legs.

Background dc on either side of each 8-st panel are not shown on the chart; they are written into the round instructions.

Schematic (not to scale)

              ← waistband 2¾" (drawstring)
         |----------------------|
         |                      |
         |        HIP           |  rise
         |  CF cables on thighs |
         |  outer cables at sides|
          \        CB         /
           \      crotch     /
            |              |
            |   cables     |  inseam
            |   continue   |
            |              |
             --------------   ribbed cuff

Pattern

Waistband

Worked sideways as BLO hdc ribbing, then joined in a ring.

Ch 12.

Row 1: Hdc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. (11 hdc)

Row 2: Ch 1 (does not count as a st), hdc BLO in each st across, turn. (11 hdc)

Rep Row 2 until you have 68 (76, 84, 92, 100, 108) rows. Strip should measure about 34 (38, 42, 46, 50, 54)" / 86.5 (96.5, 106.5, 117, 127, 137) cm slightly stretched, matching the finished hip. Add or remove rows in pairs if needed for your yarn, then pick up the stitch count given below evenly.

Do not fasten off. Fold the strip so the first and last rows meet, RS together. Sl st through both layers, working in the remaining front loops of Row 1 and the BLO of the last row, to join into a ring. Turn RS out. The seam is center back.

Pick up for body

With RS facing and the waistband edge that will sit at the bottom toward you, join yarn at the CB seam.

Pickup rnd: Ch 1, work 2 sc in each row-end around the long edge of the waistband, join with sl st to first sc.
68 (76, 84, 92, 100, 108) rows × 2 sc = 136 (152, 168, 184, 200, 216) sc ✓

PM in the first st for CB. This is now the start of every body round.

Body (hip to crotch)

Set-up places four 8-st cable panels:

• Left outer and left front (C8F on cross rounds)
• Right front and right outer (C8B on cross rounds)

Set-up rnd (cable Rnd 1): Ch 3 (counts as first dc here and throughout), dc in next 29 (33, 37, 41, 45, 49) sts (CB half-back = 30 (34, 38, 42, 46, 50) dc including the beg ch-3 ✓), PM, FPdc around each of next 8 sc (left outer cable), PM, dc in next 17 (20, 23, 26, 29, 32) sts, PM, FPdc around each of next 8 sc (left front cable), PM, dc in next 5 (6, 7, 8, 9, 10) sts, PM for CF, dc in next 5 (6, 7, 8, 9, 10) sts, PM, FPdc around each of next 8 sc (right front cable), PM, dc in next 17 (20, 23, 26, 29, 32) sts, PM, FPdc around each of next 8 sc (right outer cable), PM, dc in remaining 30 (34, 38, 42, 46, 50) sts, join with sl st to top of beg ch-3.
Check: 30+8+17+8+5+5+8+17+8+30 = 136 ✓
S: 34+8+20+8+6+6+8+20+8+34 = 152 ✓
M: 38+8+23+8+7+7+8+23+8+38 = 168 ✓
L: 42+8+26+8+8+8+8+26+8+42 = 184 ✓
XL: 46+8+29+8+9+9+8+29+8+46 = 200 ✓
2X: 50+8+32+8+10+10+8+32+8+50 = 216 ✓

You now have 136 (152, 168, 184, 200, 216) sts and four marked 8-st cable panels.

Work even in pattern as follows. Always start at CB with ch 3 (counts as dc) and a dc in each dc of the previous rnd; work each 8-st panel as given; join, do not turn.

Cable pattern (worked on each 8-st panel)

• Rnds 1–5 of repeat: FPdc around each of the 8 cable sts.
• Rnd 6 of repeat:
  – Left outer and left front panels: C8F.
  – Right front and right outer panels: C8B.

Rep cable Rnds 1–6 for the rest of the garment. The set-up rnd just worked counts as cable Rnd 1.

Continue until the body measures 7¼ (7¾, 8¼, 8¾, 9¼, 9¾)" / 18.5 (19.5, 21, 22, 23.5, 25) cm from the pickup rnd, ending after any rnd of the cable repeat — about 15 (16, 17, 18, 19, 20) rnds at gauge (15 rnds × 0.5" = 7.5" ✓). Total rise including the 2¾" waistband is then 10 (10½, 11, 11½, 12, 12½)".

Custom rise: For a higher waist or longer rise, work extra even rnds here. For a lower rise, work fewer. End with a non-cross rnd if you can, so the next cross does not land on the crotch chain.

Note which cable-repeat rnd you just finished (you will continue the same numbering on both legs).

Divide for legs

Stitches at this point: 136 (152, 168, 184, 200, 216).
Each leg takes half: 68 (76, 84, 92, 100, 108) body sts, plus a crotch chain. (68 = 136/2 ✓)

Crotch chain: Ch 6 (6, 8, 8, 10, 10).

Left leg (work first)

From CB, the left half is the next 68 (76, 84, 92, 100, 108) sts and runs CB → left outer cable → left front cable → CF.

Joining rnd: Work in established pattern (dc in dc, FPdc or C8F on the two left cable panels) across the 68 (76, 84, 92, 100, 108) left-leg sts, ending at CF. Ch 6 (6, 8, 8, 10, 10), skip the remaining (right-leg) sts, sl st to top of beg ch-3 at CB to join the left leg in the round.
Left leg: 68 (76, 84, 92, 100, 108) + 6 (6, 8, 8, 10, 10) = 74 (82, 92, 100, 110, 118) sts ✓

PM in the center of the crotch chain for the inner-thigh marker. You will decrease on either side of this marker.

Do not work the right-leg sts; they stay on hold.

Left leg

Continue in established pattern on 74 (82, 92, 100, 110, 118) sts: two C8F cable panels as set, all other sts in dc (including the crotch-chain sts, worked as dc on the following rnd). Join each rnd at CB; do not turn. Keep the cable-repeat numbering going.

Next rnd (even): Work even in pattern, working 1 dc in each crotch-chain ch. Inner-thigh marker sits at the center of those new dc.

Begin inner-thigh taper. All decrease rnds remove 2 sts and never touch the 8-st cable columns.

Decrease rnd: Work in pattern to 2 sts before the inner-thigh marker, dc2tog, work the marked st, dc2tog, work in pattern to end of rnd. (2 sts decreased)

Even rnd: Work even in pattern.

Rep the last 2 rnds 18 (20, 23, 25, 28, 30) more times — 19 (21, 24, 26, 29, 31) decrease rnds total.
Stitch counts:
XS: 74 − (19 × 2) = 74 − 38 = 36 ✓
S: 82 − (21 × 2) = 82 − 42 = 40 ✓
M: 92 − (24 × 2) = 92 − 48 = 44 ✓
L: 100 − (26 × 2) = 100 − 52 = 48 ✓
XL: 110 − (29 × 2) = 110 − 58 = 52 ✓
2X: 118 − (31 × 2) = 118 − 62 = 56 ✓

If a dc2tog would land inside a cable column: work even across that cable, and work the dc2tog in the nearest dc on the inner-thigh side of the panel instead. If only 2 dc remain between the inner marker and a cable, move the pair of decreases to the next dc gap (between the two cables, or into the back dc section).

Shaping uses 38 (42, 48, 52, 58, 62) rnds (19 (21, 24, 26, 29, 31) even + 19 (21, 24, 26, 29, 31) decrease).
Work even in pattern on 36 (40, 44, 48, 52, 56) sts until the inseam measures 28 (29, 30, 30, 31, 31)" / 71 (73.5, 76, 76, 78.5, 78.5) cm from the crotch chain, or 2" (5 cm) less than desired finished inseam (cuff adds ~2").
At 8 rnds = 4", total inseam rnds = 56 (58, 60, 60, 62, 62); remaining even rnds after shaping = 18 (16, 12, 8, 4, 0) ✓.

Custom inseam: Add or omit even rnds. End on any non-cross rnd if possible.

Left cuff

Worked in FPdc/BPdc rib on the remaining 36 (40, 44, 48, 52, 56) sts (all even, so the rib divides evenly ✓).

Cuff rnd 1: Ch 2 (counts as first BPdc), *FPdc around next st, BPdc around next st; rep from * to last st, FPdc around last st, join with sl st to top of beg ch-2.

Cuff rnds 2–8: Ch 2, *FPdc around next FPdc, BPdc around next BPdc; rep from * around, join.

Fasten off. Cuff is about 2" (5 cm). For a longer cuff or fold-over, work 4 more rnds.

Right leg

With RS facing, join yarn with a standing dc (or sl st and ch 3) in the CF stitch at the right-hand side of the crotch opening (the first unworked body st of the right half).

Joining rnd: Work in established pattern across the 68 (76, 84, 92, 100, 108) right-leg sts (right front cable as C8B, right outer cable as C8B, all other sts dc), ending at CB. Work 6 (6, 8, 8, 10, 10) dc across the opposite side of the left-leg crotch chain (1 dc in each ch, matching the left leg), join to standing dc / top of ch-3.
Right leg: 68 (76, 84, 92, 100, 108) + 6 (6, 8, 8, 10, 10) = 74 (82, 92, 100, 110, 118) sts ✓

PM at the center of the crotch dc for the inner-thigh marker.

Work the right leg exactly as the left leg: same even/decrease sequence, same final 36 (40, 44, 48, 52, 56) sts, same inseam length, cables continued as C8B on both right-leg panels. Work the same 8-rnd FPdc/BPdc cuff. Fasten off.

Drawstring

Ch 150 (160, 170, 180, 190, 200), or until the chain measures about 60 (64, 68, 72, 76, 80)" / 152 (163, 173, 183, 193, 203) cm. Sl st in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. Fasten off, leaving tails to knot.

Alternatively, work a 3-st i-cord for a rounder cord: ch 3, *slide sts to the other end of a double-ended or dp hook, yarn over and pull through, sc in each of the 3 sts; rep from * to length.

Finishing

1. Weave in all ends on the WS. At the crotch, use the tails to close any small gap at the corners of the chain; take a stitch or two through both legs so the join lies flat.
2. Weave the drawstring through the waistband ribbing, entering and exiting at center front (skip 2–3 ribs between passes so it cinches evenly). Knot the ends.
3. Optional elastic: thread through the waistband on the WS and sew the ends together with an overlap.
4. Block. Cables and post-stitch fabric must be blocked or they sit tight and curly.
   • Steam block (preferred for cables): Pin the pants flat to the finished measurements, hover a steam iron 1–2" (2.5–5 cm) above the fabric, and steam. Do not press the iron onto the cables or you will flatten the texture. Let dry fully.
   • Wet block: Soak in lukewarm water, press out water in a towel (do not wring), pin to measurements, dry flat.
     Do not stretch the waistband or cuffs; they should stay elastic.
5. After blocking, check inseam and cuff; add cuff rounds if you want more length.

Pattern checklist (counts at a glance)

Tips for the cable crosses

• Loosen the 4 FPtr of each cross slightly so the panel does not cinch the leg circumference.
• Work the second group of 4 FPtr in order (first skipped st through fourth), not backwards.
• If a cross feels tight, go up 0.5 mm for the four FPtr only, then return to the main hook.
• Count the 8 post stitches after every cross: you must still have 8 raised stitches in that column.

Wear, cinch the drawstring, and steam once more after the first try-on so the cables settle along the legs.