Artificial Intelligence (AI) is creeping into every part of our lives, from our online searches to even writing an email. It can be pretty handy when trying to write those tricky emails, but can it write a pattern?
I asked ChatGPT to write a series of knitting patterns. What came out was… interesting. For example, when asking for a woodland knitting pattern collection, here was one of the patterns:
Fox Face Mittens
Materials
- Yarn: Worsted weight yarn in orange, white, and black (approx. 100 yards total)
- Needles: US Size 6 (4mm) double-pointed needles
- Tapestry needle
Instructions
- Base Mittens:
- Knit a simple mitten pattern using orange yarn.
- Fox Face Colorwork (Chart):
- Start the fox face on the top of the mitten hand using a chart (e.g., a triangular orange face with white ears and a black nose).
- Finish:
- Complete the mittens and duplicate stitch any small details for sharper results.
Obviously really not helpful if actually trying to knit something! With a little extra nudging, I was able to get an actual pattern with stitch counts and even a chart to work from. However, I’m curious what this will actually look like when knitted up.
This is part 1 of my challenge to design a pattern better than AI: What does an AI pattern knit up like? I’ll be sharing that in Part 2!
For now, if you would like to try it out yourself, here is the pattern I will be working from (the description of the chart at the end really gets a little whacky, so I thought I’d include that for your enjoyment):
Fox Face Mittens Pattern
Finished Size: Fits an average adult hand (7–8” circumference, 10” length).
Yarn:
- Orange (MC – main color): ~100 yards
- White (CC1 – contrast color 1): ~20 yards
- Black (CC2 – contrast color 2): ~10 yards
Needles:
- US Size 4 (3.5 mm) double-pointed needles or circular needles for magic loop
- Optional: US Size 2 (2.75 mm) needles for ribbing
Other Materials:
- Tapestry needle
- Stitch marker
- Chart for fox face (13×15 grid)
Abbreviations
- CO: Cast on
- K: Knit
- P: Purl
- k2tog: Knit 2 stitches together (decrease)
- pm: Place marker
- SM: Slip marker
Instructions
Cuff
- CO 44 stitches with orange (MC). Divide stitches evenly across needles and join to work in the round. Be careful not to twist.
- Work in k1, p1 ribbing for 2 inches (or longer if you prefer a longer cuff).
Hand
- Setup Row: Knit all stitches in orange (MC).
- Work in stockinette stitch (knit all stitches in the round) for 1 inch.
- Begin the Fox Face Chart on the back of the hand:
- Center the 13-stitch wide fox face chart on the back of the mitten.
- The remaining 31 stitches are worked in orange (MC).
- Follow the chart for 15 rows, carrying unused yarn loosely across the back.
- Once the chart is complete, continue knitting in orange until the mitten measures 6 inches from the cuff (adjust for hand size).
Thumb Gusset
- Thumb Increases:
- On the palm side, place a marker after 20 stitches and before the next stitch.
- Round 1: Knit to marker, kfb, k1, kfb, SM, knit to end (2 stitches increased).
- Round 2: Knit all stitches.
- Repeat these 2 rounds until there are 13 stitches between the markers.
- Place the 13 thumb stitches on a waste yarn or stitch holder. Cast on 1 stitch over the gap and continue knitting the hand in orange.
Top Shaping
- When the mitten measures 9.5 inches from the cuff (or desired length to fingertips):
- Round 1: K9, k2tog around.
- Round 2: Knit all stitches.
- Round 3: K8, k2tog around.
- Round 4: Knit all stitches.
- Continue decreasing this way until 8 stitches remain.
- Break yarn, thread through remaining stitches, and pull tight. Weave in ends.
Thumb
- Place the 13 thumb stitches back on the needles.
- Pick up 1 stitch over the gap (14 stitches total).
- Knit in the round until the thumb measures 2 inches (or desired length).
- Shape the tip:
- Round 1: K2tog around.
- Round 2: Knit all stitches.
- Repeat until 4 stitches remain.
- Break yarn, thread through remaining stitches, pull tight, and weave in ends.
Finishing
- Block your mittens gently to even out stitches.
- If desired, duplicate stitch details like the fox’s nose or eyes for added definition.
Here’s a detailed description of how to create the fox face chart for the mittens using a 13×15 grid:
Chart Dimensions
- Width: 13 stitches
- Height: 15 rows
Colors
- Orange (Main Color – MC): For the fox face.
- White (Contrast Color 1 – CC1): For the snout area.
- Black (Contrast Color 2 – CC2): For the eyes and nose.
Design Description
- Base Triangle (Fox Face):
- Begin at the bottom center of the grid. The fox face forms a triangular shape that tapers upward.
- The base starts with 1 orange stitch on the bottom row and expands by 2 orange stitches per row (one on each side) until the full 13-stitch width is reached.
- White Snout (CC1):
- Rows 12 to 15: In the center of the triangle, replace the bottom 3 stitches with white stitches to create the snout area.
- Shape: The snout is a small inverted triangle, 3 stitches wide at the base and tapering to 1 stitch at the top.
- Eyes (CC2):
- Rows 13 and 14: Place black stitches for the eyes on either side of the snout. Each eye is a single black stitch located 2 stitches from the center.
- Nose (CC2):
- Row 15: Add a single black stitch at the tip of the white snout. This stitch should align with the center column of the grid.
Visual Layout (Key)
- O = Orange
- W = White
- B = Black
Chart Representation (13×15)
mathematica
Copy code
Row 15: O O O O W B W O O O O
Row 14: O O O O W W W O O O O
Row 13: O O O W O O O W O O O
Row 12: O O W O O O O O O W O
Row 11: O W O O O O O O O O W
Row 10: W O O O O O O O O O O
Row 9: O O O O O O O O O O O
Row 8: O O O O O O O O O O O
Row 7: O O O O O O O O O O O
Row 6: O O O O O O O O O O O
Row 5: O O O O O O O O O O O
Row 4: O O O O O O O O O O O
Row 3: O O O O O O O O O O O
Row 2: O O O O O O O O O O O
Row 1: O O O O O O O O O O O
Langford Knits 
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