These beginner friendly, top-down pants capture a fun and flirty 70’s vibe - tight and fitted through the top and flared to your hearts desire at the bottom. These pants can be comfy and relaxed, like your favorite pair of yoga pants, or dramatic and sexy, like your favorite high-waisted flares. Perfect for any body and any yarn.
Sizes
This pattern is written with standard sizing instructions for finished waist sizes 24, 26, 28, 30, 32 (34, 36, 38, 40, 42)44, 46, 48, 50, 52“/61, 66, 71, 76, 81 (86, 91, 96, 101, 106)111, 116, 121, 126, 131cm or a recipe for a customized pant pattern using simplified math formulas to work the instructions exactly to your body measurements!
Because of the stretchiness of knit fabric, these flares should be knit with 2-6”/5-15.5cm of negative ease. Most testers noted that if they were between sizes, they would recommend choosing the smaller size.
Materials
You will need at least five stitch markers (one different for a BOR), waste yarn and a crochet hook for a provisional cast on, waste yarn or extra needles to hold live stitches, darning needle, elastic thread (this part is technically optional but highly recommended), and your super amazing body.
Techniques
You will need to know how to do a provisional cast on, knit in the round, increase, hold stitches, cable cast on (or an alternative mid-row cast on of your choice), kitchener stitch, block, weave in ends, and have fun.
Suggested Yarn
Sunfish from thelittlewolfknits: 75/25% superwash merino/nylon (4ply) fingering weight, (463yd/424m per 100g). The sample used a total of 275g of yarn fading The Rose Family (90g), Geyser #4 (54g), I’m Dying Inside (41g), and Skinny Dipping (90g).
Any light fingering should work – just make sure to get gauge.
-Alternatives include:
o Knit Picks Stroll
o Cascade Yarns Heritage
Suggested Needles)
Main Needle: US 5 (3.75mm)
But use whatever needle you need to achieve gauge!
Gauge
24 stitches x 32 rows = 4”/10cm stockinette knit in the round and blocked. When swatching, remember to cast on more stitches than you’re intending to measure so that you can get an accurate measurement (the end and beginning stitches tend to be looser). I recommend using this tutorial to start and finish the swatch for the most accurate measurements.
Yardage
If knit to pattern (12 inch thigh, 9 inch straight leg and 8 inch flare), your pants will use:
1292, 1377, 1459, 1549, 1635 (1729, 1820, 1918, 2013, 2116)2215, 2322, 2426, 2537, 2645yd/1181, 1259, 1334, 1416, 1495 (1581, 1664, 1754, 1841, 1934)2025, 2123, 2218, 2319, 2418m for the pants.
In order to calculate yardage for each additional 1”/2.5cm of length added to the straight length of the pants, will require approximately an additional 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 (36, 37, 39, 39, 41)41, 43, 43, 45, 46yd/28, 29, 30, 31, 32 (33, 34, 35, 36, 37)38, 39, 40, 41, 42m.
Please remember that this yardage is the best estimate based on my specific measurements, yarn, and gauge; yardage may vary with different materials.
