Ready for a summer project that actually looks like you spent hours on it? These sunflower summer crochet shorts deliver basket-weave texture, retro vibes, and that “wait, you made those?” reaction every single time. The butter yellow base with rust trim and a cheerful sunflower applique makes them pure sunshine. Best part? The construction stays simple even if you’ve never made a garment before.
Why These Shorts Deserve a Spot on Your Hook
You work two flat panels, seam them up, and finish with bands and a drawstring. No wrestling with increases in the round while trying to keep a fancy stitch pattern straight. The basket-weave texture looks way more complicated than it is. If you can handle double crochet, you can learn the post stitches that create that woven look.
The adjustable drawstring waistband gives you wiggle room on fit. And the sunflower? You can pin it on or take it off for washing. Smart little details like that turn a cute project into something you’ll actually wear on repeat.
IMO, these are the kind of shorts that make people stop you at the market. Retro summer energy without trying too hard.
Skill Level and What You Need to Know
This pattern sits at intermediate. You should feel okay with:
- Front post double crochet (FPdc) and back post double crochet (BPdc)
- Working flat panels and turning chains
- Seaming pieces together
- Picking up stitches around edges for bands
Made a hat or simple bag before? You’re good to go. The techniques themselves aren’t scary. You’re just stacking a few of them in one project.
Finished Measurements
The pattern is written for size Small, with Medium and Large in parentheses: S (M, L).
Waist circumference (relaxed): 26 (30, 34) inches or 66 (76, 86.5) cm
Hip circumference (at widest): 32 (36, 40) inches or 81.5 (91.5, 101.5) cm
Total rise (waistband top to crotch): 10 (10.5, 11) inches or 25.5 (26.5, 28) cm
Inseam length: 2.5 (2.5, 3) inches or 6.5 (6.5, 7.5) cm
Leg opening circumference: 18 (20, 22) inches or 45.5 (51, 56) cm
The drawstring gives you about 4 inches of adjustment each side. So don’t panic if your waist isn’t exact.
Materials and Yarn Choices That Work
Yarn A (main colour, butter yellow): Worsted weight, approximately 450 (520, 600) yards or 410 (475, 550) meters
Yarn B (trim colour, rust/caramel): Worsted weight, approximately 80 (95, 110) yards or 73 (87, 101) meters
Yarn C (drawstring and accent, forest green): Worsted weight, approximately 120 (130, 140) yards or 110 (119, 128) meters
Yarn D (sunflower center, dark brown): Worsted weight, approximately 15 yards or 14 meters
Hook: US size J / 6.0 mm for main fabric, bands, and sunflower
Hook: US size I / 5.5 mm for waistband only (optional, for a firmer edge)
Other supplies: tapestry needle, 6 stitch markers, 2 locking stitch markers or safety pins, brooch pin or sewing needle and thread, scissors.
Want good stitch definition for those post stitches? Look for worsted yarns with some wool content or a clean acrylic blend. Skip the fuzzy or bouclé stuff. It will hide the texture you worked so hard to create.
Gauge You Actually Need to Check
In basket-weave pattern with J hook:
16 stitches = 4 inches / 10 cm
12 rows = 4 inches / 10 cm
In single crochet:
16 sc = 4 inches / 10 cm
18 rows = 4 inches / 10 cm
Make a swatch: chain 22 with Yarn A and your J hook. Work the basket-weave pattern for 16 rows. Block lightly. Measure the center 4 inches. Too small? Go up a hook size. Too big? Go down. Skipping the swatch on a garment is a fast track to disappointment. Don’t do that to yourself.
Abbreviations and Special Stitches
ch: chain
dc: double crochet (yarn over, insert hook, pull up loop, yarn over and pull through 2 loops twice)
sc: single crochet (insert hook, pull up loop, yarn over and pull through both loops)
sc2tog: single crochet two together
sl st: slip stitch
FPdc: front post double crochet
BPdc: back post double crochet
st(s): stitch(es)
RS: right side
WS: wrong side
t-ch: turning chain
rep: repeat
sk: skip
pm: place marker
Front Post Double Crochet (FPdc)
Yarn over. Insert your hook from front to back to front around the post of the stitch in the row below. Yarn over and pull up a loop. You now have 3 loops on your hook. Yarn over and draw through 2 loops. Yarn over and draw through the remaining 2 loops. Done.
Back Post Double Crochet (BPdc)
Yarn over. Insert your hook from back to front to back around the post of the stitch in the row below. Yarn over and pull up a loop. Yarn over and draw through 2 loops. Yarn over and draw through the remaining 2 loops.
The basket-weave happens when you work blocks of 4 FPdc alternating with blocks of 4 BPdc. Every 4 rows the blocks switch places. Front posts push forward, back posts sink back, and suddenly you have that woven look.
For the drawstrings you’ll make a twisted chain cord: chain to length, then without turning work slip stitches into the back bump of every chain back to the start. It makes a firm, rounded cord that looks way better than a plain chain.
Pattern Notes Before You Dive In
You make two identical flat panels. Seam the sides and inseam, then pick up stitches for the waist and leg bands.
The chain 3 at the start of every basket-weave row counts as the first double crochet. Keep that in mind for stitch counts.
When you work post stitches, skip the stitch at the base of the post stitch in the current row. The post stitch replaces it.
Stitch counts for each panel are multiples of 8 plus 2: Size S uses 66 stitches, Size M uses 74, Size L uses 82.
Step-by-Step Crochet Pattern Instructions
Front Panel
Foundation chain: Using Yarn A and J hook, ch 68 (76, 84).
Row 1 (RS): Dc in the 4th ch from hook (beginning ch-3 counts as first dc), dc in each ch across. Turn. 66 (74, 82) dc
Row 2 (WS, establish basket-weave, Block A positions):
Ch 3 (counts as first dc), turn.
Work BPdc around each of next 3 sts.
Work FPdc around each of next 4 sts, work BPdc around each of next 4 sts repeat across to last 4 sts before t-ch.
Work FPdc around each of next 3 sts.
Dc in top of t-ch. Turn. 66 (74, 82) sts
Row 3 (RS):
Ch 3, turn.
Work FPdc around each of next 3 sts.
Work BPdc around each of next 4 sts, work FPdc around each of next 4 sts repeat across to last 4 sts before t-ch.
Work BPdc around each of next 3 sts.
Dc in top of t-ch. Turn. 66 (74, 82) sts
Row 4 (WS): Repeat Row 2. 66 (74, 82) sts
Row 5 (RS): Repeat Row 3. 66 (74, 82) sts
This finishes the first basket-weave block set. Now switch the block positions.
Row 6 (WS, Block B positions):
Ch 3, turn.
Work FPdc around each of next 3 sts.
Work BPdc around each of next 4 sts, work FPdc around each of next 4 sts repeat across to last 4 sts before t-ch.
Work BPdc around each of next 3 sts.
Dc in top of t-ch. Turn. 66 (74, 82) sts
Row 7 (RS):
Ch 3, turn.
Work BPdc around each of next 3 sts.
Work FPdc around each of next 4 sts, work BPdc around each of next 4 sts repeat across to last 4 sts before t-ch.
Work FPdc around each of next 3 sts.
Dc in top of t-ch. Turn. 66 (74, 82) sts
Row 8 (WS): Repeat Row 6. 66 (74, 82) sts
Row 9 (RS): Repeat Row 7. 66 (74, 82) sts
One full basket-weave repeat is done. Keep repeating Rows 2 through 9 until the panel measures 7.5 (8, 8.5) inches or 19 (20.5, 21.5) cm from the foundation chain. End after a Row 5 or Row 9.
Crotch Curve Shaping
Transition row (WS): With Yarn A, work 1 sc in each st across. Turn. 66 (74, 82) sc
Decrease Row 1 (RS): Ch 1, sc2tog over first 2 sts, sc in each st to last 2 sts, sc2tog. Turn. 64 (72, 80) sc
Decrease Row 2 (WS): Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in each st to last 2 sts, sc2tog. Turn. 62 (70, 78) sc
Decrease Row 3 (RS): Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in each st to last 2 sts, sc2tog. Turn. 60 (68, 76) sc
Decrease Row 4 (WS): Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in each st to last 2 sts, sc2tog. Turn. 58 (66, 74) sc
Work 2 (2, 3) rows even in sc with no shaping. 58 (66, 74) sc
Fasten off Yarn A. Front Panel complete.
Back Panel
Work exactly the same as the Front Panel. You now have two identical panels.
Assembly
Place front and back panels together with wrong sides facing each other. Using Yarn A and a tapestry needle, seam the two side edges together from the waist edge down to the bottom of the basket-weave section. Do not seam the sc crotch rows yet. Complete both side seams.
With right sides of one leg facing together, fold the shorts so the front inseam meets the back inseam. Seam the inseam from the crotch center point downward to the bottom leg edge. Repeat for the other leg.
Close the curved crotch seam where the two panels meet at the center. Weave in all ends.
Waistband
Join Yarn B to the top edge at one side seam with a sl st, RS facing.
Round 1 (RS): Ch 1, work sc evenly around the entire waist edge, placing 1 sc per dc. Sl st to first sc to join. Do not turn. 132 (148, 164) sc
Round 2 (RS): Ch 1, sc in each sc around. Sl st to join. 132 (148, 164) sc
Round 3 (RS, Yarn C eyelet row): Join Yarn C.
Ch 1, sc in first sc.
Ch 1, sk 1 sc, sc in next sc repeat around, ending with sl st to first sc. 66 (74, 82) sc and 66 (74, 82) ch-1 spaces
Place markers at the side seam eyelets.
Round 4 (RS): With Yarn B, join to first sc.
Ch 1, sc in sc, sc in ch-1 sp around. Sl st to join. 132 (148, 164) sc
Round 5 (RS): Ch 1, sc in each sc around. Sl st to join. 132 (148, 164) sc
Round 6 (RS): Working in back loops only, sl st in each sc around. Sl st to join. Fasten off Yarn B.
Leg Bands (make 2)
Join Yarn B to the leg opening at the inseam, RS facing.
Round 1 (RS): Ch 1, sc evenly around the leg opening. Target stitch count is 72 (80, 88) sc. Sl st to join. 72 (80, 88) sc
Round 2 (RS): Ch 1, sc in each sc around. Sl st to join. 72 (80, 88) sc
Round 3 (RS): Ch 1, sc in each sc around. Sl st to join. 72 (80, 88) sc
Fasten off. Repeat for second leg.
Drawstring Cords (make 2)
Using Yarn C and J hook, ch 85 (90, 95). Without turning, sl st in the back bump of every ch from the hook back to the starting point. Fasten off, leaving a 6 inch tail at each end.
Thread one cord through the eyelet round from the right side seam, all the way around and back out the same opening. Both ends emerge at the right side. Tie in a bow.
Repeat with the second cord through the left side seam.
Sunflower Applique
Center disk: Using Yarn D and J hook, make a magic ring.
Round 1: Ch 1, work 8 sc into the ring. Sl st to first sc to join. 8 sc
Round 2: Ch 1, work 2 sc in each sc around. Sl st to join. 16 sc
Round 3: Ch 1, sc in each sc around. Sl st to join. 16 sc
Fasten off Yarn D. Join Yarn A.
Petal round (Round 4): Working into each sc of Round 3, work one petal in each stitch:
Sl st into sc, ch 3, work 3 dc into same sc, ch 3, sl st into same sc in each of the 16 sc around.
Fasten off Yarn A. 16 petals
Attach a brooch pin to the wrong side of the sunflower, or sew directly to the front right hip of the shorts about 2 inches below the waistband.
Blocking, Finishing, and Care
Weave in all remaining ends on the wrong side, working through at least 2 inches of stitches in different directions.
For cotton or cotton-blend yarns, wet block by soaking in cool water for 20 minutes. Gently squeeze out excess water. Lay flat on a blocking mat, pin to measurements, and let dry completely.
For acrylic or wool yarns, steam block by holding a steam iron 1 inch above the fabric surface. Pin to shape and let cool completely before removing pins.
Hand wash in cool water with gentle detergent. Do not wring. Lay flat to dry away from direct sunlight. Do not tumble dry or iron directly. Store flat or loosely rolled to prevent stretching.
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Make Them Yours and Wear Them Out
These sunflower summer crochet shorts take about 12 to 18 hours for an experienced intermediate crocheter. Add a bit more time if post stitches still feel new. The result is a one-of-a-kind summer piece that no one else will have.
The sunflower is totally optional. Swap it for another flower, add a few smaller ones, or leave the shorts clean and simple. Play with colours too. Cream with burgundy trim? Pale blue with white accents? Go for it.
Once you finish, pair them with a simple tank or a breezy blouse and head outside. You’ve earned those compliments.
