4 Crochet Granny Square Shorts Patterns
Granny square shorts split into two basic approaches: seam a couple of large squares into legs, or piece together several smaller motifs into panels first. The stitch also matters more than it might seem, a standard open granny square breathes more but shows more skin through the gaps, while a solid linen stitch version covers fully but takes longer to work.
Granny square shorts patterns to explore
1. Basketball Crochet Granny Square Shorts
Crochet Everything keeps this one to just two large squares, each 23 rounds and about 22 inches wide, worked in black, white, and orange on a 4.5mm hook. The two-square construction is the fastest route here since there’s no piecing together several smaller motifs first.
2. Red Heart Crochet Granny Shorts
The Red Heart Design Team uses their self-striping All In One Granny Square yarn, which changes color automatically as you work so you get the classic multicolor granny look without switching skeins by hand. Sizing runs from extra-small through 2X-large with a roughly 6.5-inch inseam across both size ranges.
3. Linen Stitch Granny Square Shorts
Michelle at The Snugglery swaps the usual open granny gaps for linen stitch, which fills in the fabric for more coverage, combined with a hexagon and a triangle motif alongside the squares. It’s worked in cotton on a 5.5mm hook with an elastic waistband rather than a drawstring.
4. Starburst Granny Square Shorts/Skirt
Ellie Price at Hook Yarn Carabiner pieces this one from four separate squares rather than two large panels, using recycled cotton on a 5mm hook across sizes XS to XL. The pattern is written to work as either shorts or a skirt depending on how you finish the length, which none of the other three offer.
Choosing by coverage and construction
For the fastest build, Crochet Everything’s two-square version has the least piecing. For full coverage without the typical granny-square gaps, Michelle’s linen stitch version is the only one built for that. If you want the option to make a skirt instead of shorts from the same pattern, Ellie Price’s Starburst is the one with that flexibility built in.
