FREE PATTERN: Rainbow Crochet Shorts Keyring

I am sure this is a universal experience of anyone who crochets and has a Facebook account - someone has either shared in a group you're in, on your wall or messaged you one (or more!) pictures of crochet shorts or onesies.

Sigh. They, of course, think that they are being very funny. But, I don't like the idea of laughing at someone else's hard work, even if it's not necessarily to my taste! I would be devastated if I posted on the internet something that I was proud of making, and others shared it around for laughs :/

Going by the principle that what you make jokes about reveals your deepest desires, here is a little, quick and easy pattern to give as a gift to those people :)

Queue or Favourite this pattern on Ravelry here: 
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/rainbow-shorts-keyring

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PATTERN: RAINBOW CROCHET SHORTS KEYRING
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Materials:

Small amounts of DK yarn in 6 rainbow colours - I used Stylecraft Special DK in Lipstick, Spice, Sunshine, Green, Aster and Violet
3.25mm/D hook
Yarn needle
Scissors
Keyring with short chain and second smaller split ring

Stitches:
This pattern uses all US terminology

sc - single crochet
st - stitch
blo - back loop only
slst - slip stitch

Notes:

- For the only time ever, I recommend crocheting over your ends as you go rather than having to spend time weaving them in at the end. I crocheted over the starting end of the current colour for the first 6 stitches, and over the tail from the previous row with the final 6 stitches.

- Use standing sc stitches to start each row if you can! Reducing bulk will make your tiny shorts less flare-y. 

- If you're not good at remembering which end you started at, I recommend using a stitch marker to mark the end! You only really need this for the construction phase.

- Don't turn after each row!

PATTERN

Leg Sleeves (make 2)

Row 1 - Using Lipstick, ch13. Turn and sc into the back loop of each chain. Finish off and cut yarn (12 sc). 

Row 2 - Using Spice, join yarn with a standing sc in blo of first sc of Row 1. sc in BLO of each st. Finish off and cut yarn (12sc).

Row 3 - Repeat Row 2 with Sunshine. 

Row 4 - Repeat Row 2 with Green

Row 5 - Repeat Row 2 with Aster

Row 6 - Repeat Row 2 with Violet

Row 7 - Repeat Row 2 with Lipstick

Row 8 - Repeat Row 2 with Spice

Row 9 - Repeat Row 2 with Sunshine

Row 10 - Repeat Row 2 with Green

Row 11 - Repeat Row 2 with Aster

Row 12 - Repeat Row 2 with Violet

Weave in all ends. 

Construction

1. Thread a 30cm length of Lipstick onto your yarn needle. With the first leg sleeve, fold in half with the right sides together, with the Violet row on top. Starting from the right hand side (which is the side with the ends rather than the starts of each row), whip stitch the two edges together for 6 stitches. If you want to match the BLO pattern, stitch into the front loop of both the Violet and Lipstick only. 

2. Once you've joined 6 stitches, do an extra stitch in the last spot, and then pick up your second leg sleeve and fold in half with the right sides together, with the Lipstick row on top. Into the 7th stitches from the right, insert your yarn needle and do a little knot. Continue stitching towards the left - you'll do 6 stitches again. If you want to match the BLO pattern, stitch into the front loop of the Lipstick, and back loop of the Violet edges. Finish off securely and weave in your ends.

3. Now we need to do the front-to-back seam of the tiny shorts. Line up the un-joined edges of the leg sleeves so that you are joining one sleeve to the other (as opposed to one sleeve to itself to make the leg holes). Whip stitch along this seam, adding an extra knot in the crotch if you think it's necessary. Finish off and weave in your ends securely.

Waistband

Row 1 - Join Aster in the end of any row with a standing sc. sc in the end of each row around. Slst to join to the first sc, cut yarn and weave in ends. (24sc)

Row 2 - Join Sunshine into any sc. sc into each st around. Slst to join to the first sc, cut yarn and weave in ends. (24sc)

Row 3 - Repeat Row 2 with Lipstick. (24sc)

Keyring

Join your keyring to the side of the waistband using the smaller split ring, around a stitch on Row 2 of the waistband.

Ta-dah! Tiny rainbow crochet shorts!