purlJam

# Comfy Wide-Leg Lounge Shorts with Fold-Over Waistband

A relaxed, beginner-friendly knitted shorts pattern worked seamlessly from the top down in worsted weight yarn. Features a soft folded casing waistband threaded with elastic, gentle hip shaping, optional German short-row seat shaping for extra comfort, and generously wide, straight legs for maximum room and movement. Perfect as loungewear or pyjama shorts.

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## Sizes

| Size | XS | S | M | L | XL | 2XL |
|------|----|----|----|----|----|----|
| To fit hip | 85 cm (33½") | 95 cm (37½") | 105 cm (41¼") | 115 cm (45¼") | 125 cm (49¼") | 135 cm (53¼") |
| Finished hip | 89 cm (35") | 100 cm (39½") | 109 cm (43") | 120 cm (47¼") | 128 cm (50½") | 139 cm (54¾") |
| Finished waist (relaxed, before elastic) | 89 cm | 100 cm | 109 cm | 120 cm | 128 cm | 139 cm |

*Designed with 4–5 cm (1½–2") of positive ease at the hip for a comfy, relaxed fit.*

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## Materials

- **Yarn:** Approx. 350 / 400 / 450 / 500 / 550 / 600 m of worsted weight yarn (a smooth wool or wool-blend recommended). A soft cotton-blend also works for warmer wear.
- **Needles:**
  - 5 mm (UK 6 / US 8) circular needle, 60–80 cm length, for body
  - 5 mm DPNs or second circular for magic loop, for legs
  - 4.5 mm circular needle (60–80 cm) for waistband ribbing (optional, for a tidier waistband)
- **Notions:**
  - Stitch markers (4 — one BOR + three coloured for side/back placement)
  - Stitch holders or waste yarn
  - Tapestry needle
  - 2.5 cm (1") wide flat elastic — length = your comfortable waist measurement + 2 cm overlap
  - Safety pin or bodkin (for threading elastic)

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## Tension (Gauge)

**18 sts × 24 rounds = 10 cm (4") in stocking stitch in the round, on 5 mm needles, after blocking.**

⚠️ **Please check your tension** — fit depends on it. If you have more sts per 10 cm, use larger needles; fewer sts per 10 cm, use smaller needles.

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## Abbreviations (UK terms)

- **k** — knit
- **p** — purl
- **st(s)** — stitch(es)
- **st st** — stocking stitch (knit every round in the round)
- **BOR** — beginning of round
- **M1L** — make 1 left-leaning: lift bar between sts from front to back, knit through back loop
- **M1R** — make 1 right-leaning: lift bar between sts from back to front, knit through front loop
- **pm** — place marker
- **sm** — slip marker
- **DS** — double stitch (for German short rows — see notes)
- **rep** — repeat

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## Special Techniques

**German Short Rows (GSR):**
Work to turning point, turn work. With yarn in front, slip first st purlwise, then pull yarn firmly up and over the needle to the back so both legs of the stitch below sit on the needle (this is a "double stitch" / DS). Continue in pattern. When you later encounter a DS, knit/purl both legs together as one stitch.

**Stretchy Bind-off (suggested — Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-off or simple k1, k1, lift first over second worked loosely):** any stretchy bind-off will do.

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## Construction Notes

Shorts are worked top-down, in the round, in one piece to the crotch. A folded hem casing is created at the top to hold elastic. After hip and optional seat shaping, the work is divided for two legs. Each leg is worked straight in the round (no tapering) for maximum room, finished with a short rib cuff.

Numbers are given as: **XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL)**.

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## Pattern

### 1. Waistband — Folded Casing

With 4.5 mm circular needle and a stretchy long-tail cast-on, cast on **160 (180, 196, 216, 232, 252) sts**.

*Verify: 160/180/196/216/232/252 ÷ 4 = 40/45/49/54/58/63 — all whole numbers; all divisible by 2 for leg split. ✓*

Place BOR marker and join to work in the round, being careful not to twist.

Switch to 5 mm circular needle.

**Rounds 1–18:** Knit every round (8 cm of stocking stitch — this forms the inside of the casing).

**Turning round (Round 19):** Purl all sts. *(This creates a clean fold line.)*

**Rounds 20–37:** Knit every round (8 cm of stocking stitch — this forms the outside of the casing).

👉 *The casing will be folded along the purl round and sewn down after finishing, leaving an opening to thread the elastic through.*

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### 2. Set-Up for Body Shaping

**Next round:** Knit, placing additional markers as follows for shaping reference:
- BOR (left side seam) — already placed
- After **40 (45, 49, 54, 58, 63) sts** — pm (centre front)
- After next **40 (45, 49, 54, 58, 63) sts** — pm (right side seam)
- After next **40 (45, 49, 54, 58, 63) sts** — pm (centre back)
- The final **40 (45, 49, 54, 58, 63) sts** bring you back to BOR.

*Verify: 4 × 40/45/49/54/58/63 = 160/180/196/216/232/252. ✓*

The front of the shorts is between the centre back marker and the centre back marker going through the BOR (i.e., BOR sits at the left side); the back is between centre front and centre back. (Easiest: just remember BOR = left side seam.)

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### 3. Hip Increases

Work the following **8-round increase section** to add gentle ease at the hip:

**Increase round:** *K to 1 st before side marker, M1R, k1, sm, k1, M1L; rep from * once more (working past the centre-back/centre-front markers as plain k), continuing to side seam markers only. Knit to end.

Simpler version — **increase at the two side seam markers (BOR and centre-side marker):**

**Increase round:**
- K to 1 st before BOR (use end-of-round), M1R, k1, sm (slip BOR), k1, M1L;
- K to 1 st before centre-side marker, M1R, k1, sm, k1, M1L;
- K to end. *(4 sts increased.)*

Work **Increase round** on rounds 1 and 5 of this section. Knit plain on all other rounds.

After 8 rounds total: **168 (188, 204, 224, 240, 260) sts**.

*Verify: 160+8=168 ✓ / 180+8=188 ✓ / 196+8=204 ✓ / 216+8=224 ✓ / 232+8=240 ✓ / 252+8=260 ✓. All still divisible by 2 for clean leg split. ✓*

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### 4. Optional Seat Shaping (German Short Rows)

*Recommended for added back-rise comfort — gives a little extra fabric across the seat. Skip if you prefer to keep it ultra-simple.*

Identify your back panel: the **84 (94, 102, 112, 120, 130) sts** between the centre-side marker and BOR marker (i.e., everything from centre side around through centre back to BOR).

Knit to centre back marker, then continue **20 (22, 24, 26, 28, 30) sts** past it.

**Short Row 1 (RS):** Turn. Make DS (German short row). Purl back across centre back and continue **20 (22, 24, 26, 28, 30) sts** past centre back on the other side. Turn.
**Short Row 2 (WS):** Make DS. Knit to 6 sts before the previous DS. Turn.
**Short Row 3:** Make DS. Purl to 6 sts before the previous DS. Turn.
**Short Row 4:** Make DS. Knit to 6 sts before the previous DS. Turn.
**Short Row 5:** Make DS. Purl to 6 sts before the previous DS. Turn.

Now resume knitting in the round. When you encounter each DS, knit both legs together as one stitch. After completing one full round, all DS are resolved.

Stitch count remains **168 (188, 204, 224, 240, 260) sts**.

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### 5. Body — Straight to Crotch

Knit every round in stocking stitch until the work measures **20 (21, 22, 23, 24, 25) cm / 8 (8¼, 8¾, 9, 9½, 10)"** from the **fold line** (the purl turning round), measured at the centre front (do not measure along the back which has extra short-row depth).

*Tip: for a longer rise (taller wearer / more relaxed sit), add 2–3 cm here.*

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### 6. Crotch Division

You will now divide for the two legs and add crotch stitches.

**Setup:** Knit to the centre-side marker (which sits opposite BOR — this is the right side seam). The next **84 (94, 102, 112, 120, 130) sts** are the FRONT leg-half + BACK leg-half for the **right leg**; the remaining **84 (94, 102, 112, 120, 130) sts** are for the **left leg**.

Easier approach — divide the front and back evenly:

- Slip the next **84 (94, 102, 112, 120, 130) sts** onto a stitch holder or waste yarn — these will be the **left leg / front section** held for later.
- The remaining **84 (94, 102, 112, 120, 130) sts** on the needle are the **right leg**.

Using the backward-loop cast-on, **cast on 8 sts** at the end of the right-leg needle (these form the crotch / inner leg seam).

Join in the round.

**Right leg total: 92 (102, 110, 120, 128, 138) sts.**

*Verify: 84+8=92 ✓ / 94+8=102 ✓ / 102+8=110 ✓ / 112+8=120 ✓ / 120+8=128 ✓ / 130+8=138 ✓.*

Place a new BOR marker at the centre of the 8 crotch cast-on sts (between st 4 and st 5).

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### 7. Right Leg (Wide, Straight)

Knit every round in stocking stitch — **no decreases** — for **14 (14, 15, 15, 16, 16) cm / 5½ (5½, 6, 6, 6¼, 6¼)"** from the crotch cast-on.

**Cuff:**
**Rounds 1–10:** *K2, p2; rep from * around (4 cm of 2x2 rib).

*Verify: 92/4=23 ✓ / 102 — note 102 ÷ 4 = 25.5. To handle non-multiples of 4 cleanly, see note below.*

📝 **Rib note:** For sizes where the leg sts are not a multiple of 4 (sizes S, L, 2XL), work **k1, p1 (1×1) ribbing** for the cuff instead — this works on any even number, and all leg sts are even. (Sizes XS, M, XL: leg sts 92/110/128 — all multiples of... 92÷4=23 ✓; 110÷4=27.5 ✗; 128÷4=32 ✓. So **use 1×1 rib for sizes S, M, L, 2XL; 2×2 rib for sizes XS and XL** — or simply use 1×1 rib for all sizes for a uniform look. Recommended: **use 1×1 rib (k1, p1) for all sizes** for simplicity.)

Bind off all sts loosely using a stretchy bind-off.

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### 8. Left Leg

Return the held **84 (94, 102, 112, 120, 130) sts** to your 5 mm circular needle. Rejoin yarn at the crotch.

Pick up and knit **8 sts** along the cast-on edge of the right leg's crotch (one st for each cast-on st). Join in the round and place BOR at the centre of these 8 picked-up sts.

**Left leg total: 92 (102, 110, 120, 128, 138) sts.** ✓

Work identically to the right leg: straight stocking stitch for **14 (14, 15, 15, 16, 16) cm**, then **10 rounds of 1×1 rib (k1, p1)**, then stretchy bind-off.

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### 9. Finishing

1. **Weave in all ends** on the wrong side, particularly reinforcing the crotch picked-up sts area with an extra criss-cross of yarn for strength.
2. **Block** the shorts gently to the schematic measurements. Pin out flat and allow to dry fully — this evens out tension and opens up the fabric.
3. **Sew down the casing:** Fold the waistband to the inside along the purl turning round. Using a tapestry needle and matching yarn, sew the cast-on edge to the inside of the shorts using a loose whip stitch or mattress stitch, **leaving a 3–4 cm gap at the centre back** for elastic insertion.
4. **Thread elastic:** Cut elastic to **your comfortable waist measurement + 2 cm overlap**. Attach a safety pin to one end and thread through the casing. Overlap ends by 2 cm and sew securely together. Tuck the elastic inside the casing and sew the gap closed.
5. **Give the waistband a gentle stretch** to distribute the gathers evenly.

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## Schematic Summary

| Measurement | XS | S | M | L | XL | 2XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finished hip (cm) | 89 | 100 | 109 | 120 | 128 | 139 |
| Rise from fold (cm) | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| Leg length incl. cuff (cm) | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 |
| Leg opening circumference (cm) | 51 | 57 | 61 | 67 | 71 | 77 |
| Total length (approx., cm) | 46 | 47 | 49 | 50 | 52 | 53 |

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## Quick Reference — Stitch Counts

- **Cast-on:** 160 (180, 196, 216, 232, 252)
- **After hip increases:** 168 (188, 204, 224, 240, 260)
- **Per leg (after crotch CO):** 92 (102, 110, 120, 128, 138)

Happy knitting! These shorts are a perfect first-garment project — minimal shaping, simple stockinette, and a forgiving relaxed fit. Enjoy your new comfy loungewear. 🧶