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Write a 60-stitch sock knitting pattern with ChatGPT
PartialEvidence: Described by posterPosted Last checked
ChatGPT wrote a wearable 60-stitch sock pattern for Lanja Khon-Engheim, but the cable cuff and toe length came out wrong.
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Before you start, ask me 1–3 short questions about the details below and wait for my answers. Once I've answered, confirm the plan in one line and run the whole task start to finish. Goal: Write a sock knitting pattern I can trust, with stitch counts that add up and no design claims you can't back up. Questions to ask me first: - What stitch count, yarn weight and needle size do you use? - What are your stitch and row gauge, and the foot length? - Which heel and toe do you want, and any cuff pattern? Inputs (fill in or confirm): - Stitch count and yarn: [STITCHES / YARN WEIGHT] - Gauge: [STITCHES AND ROWS PER INCH] - Foot length: [INCHES] - Heel, toe and cuff style: [HEEL / TOE / CUFF] Rules: - Give stitch counts at the end of every section and make sure they add up. - Use my row gauge to turn every length into a number of rounds, and say how long each section will measure. - Don't claim a stitch pattern stretches or fits unless you explain why; cables pull in, so say so. - If I correct you, recheck the whole pattern, not just the line I mentioned. Checkpoint: After the cuff and leg, stop and show me the stitch counts so I can check them before you write the heel. If you get stuck: If you don't know my gauge, ask for it instead of assuming one. Verify before you finish: Recount every section and check that the toe length matches my gauge. Output: A pattern in sections (cuff, leg, heel flap, heel turn, gusset, foot, toe) with stitch counts and measurements. Done when: I have a pattern whose counts add up and whose toe fits my foot length.
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Your prompt
Before you start, ask me 1–3 short questions about the details below and wait for my answers. Once I've answered, confirm the plan in one line and run the whole task start to finish. Goal: Write a sock knitting pattern I can trust, with stitch counts that add up and no design claims you can't back up. Questions to ask me first: - What stitch count, yarn weight and needle size do you use? - What are your stitch and row gauge, and the foot length? - Which heel and toe do you want, and any cuff pattern? Inputs (fill in or confirm): - Stitch count and yarn: [STITCHES / YARN WEIGHT] - Gauge: [STITCHES AND ROWS PER INCH] - Foot length: [INCHES] - Heel, toe and cuff style: [HEEL / TOE / CUFF] Rules: - Give stitch counts at the end of every section and make sure they add up. - Use my row gauge to turn every length into a number of rounds, and say how long each section will measure. - Don't claim a stitch pattern stretches or fits unless you explain why; cables pull in, so say so. - If I correct you, recheck the whole pattern, not just the line I mentioned. Checkpoint: After the cuff and leg, stop and show me the stitch counts so I can check them before you write the heel. If you get stuck: If you don't know my gauge, ask for it instead of assuming one. Verify before you finish: Recount every section and check that the toe length matches my gauge. Output: A pattern in sections (cuff, leg, heel flap, heel turn, gusset, foot, toe) with stitch counts and measurements. Done when: I have a pattern whose counts add up and whose toe fits my foot length.
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The prompt they actually used
The exact prompt from the source.
Write a knitting pattern for a 60-stitch sock and fingering weight yarn with a heel flap and wedge toe.
AI tool
Outcome
Knitter Lanja Khon-Engheim asked the free version of ChatGPT-4o for a plain sock pattern: 60 stitches, fingering weight yarn, a heel flap and a wedge toe. The first pattern looked reasonable and would make a wearable sock. Asked for a cabled cuff, ChatGPT crossed the cables every 10th round and claimed the cuff would keep its stretch; the cuff came out too tight, so Khon-Engheim frogged it and redesigned it. The heel worked, but in a fairly clunky manner, and fixing the gusset by prompt took about as long as fixing it by hand. ChatGPT gave no row gauge, so its 21 toe rounds measured only about 1.75 inches instead of 2.
Evidence: Described by posterThe person describes what happened in words, without screenshots or video.
Known limitations
PartialThe source says it only partly worked, or had a significant problem a person had to deal with.
What went wrong: The basic pattern worked, but the cable cuff was too tight and had to be redesigned, and the toe came out about 1.75 inches instead of 2 because ChatGPT gave no row gauge.
Source
- Posted
- by Lanja Khon-Engheim (Jagged Lines)
- Last checked
- Method:
- How we verify
https://jaggedlines.substack.com/p/chatgpt-knits-a-sock
Context: Khon-Engheim is an experienced knitter who caught the mistakes; a beginner might not.
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