AI Wrote This Knitting Pattern - Copilot Cable Knit Socks FREE Knitting Pattern

AI Wrote This Knitting Pattern - Copilot Cable Knit Socks FREE Knitting Pattern

This is a FREE cable knitting pattern for socks AI made. And I fixed it later to actually work!

I used Microsofts Copilot in September of 2025

My Prompt was: Write me a sock knitting pattern.

I asked for alterations:

Can you change that to DK weight yarn and add a 7-stitch cable on the middle of the leg and top of the foot.

Can you write the pattern for different sizes? I would like at least one smaller and two larger sizes, please.

Can you write me the Abbreviations?

What I got in the end: My comments are in italic

DK Weight Cable Socks — Multi‑Size Pattern

Sizes

  • Small (S) — approx. EU 35–37 / US 4–6
  • Medium (M) — approx. EU 38–40 / US 7–8.5
  • Large (L) — approx. EU 41–43 / US 9–10.5
  • Extra Large (XL) — approx. EU 44–46 / US 11–12.5

Finished circumference (unstretched):

  • S: 18 cm / 7"
  • M: 20 cm / 8"
  • L: 22 cm / 8.75"
  • XL: 24 cm / 9.5"

Materials

  • Yarn: DK weight sock yarn (approx. 80–120g depending on size) KnitPicks Wool of the Andes Worsted is affordable and will work fine for this project! 
  • Needles: 3.5–3.75 mm (US 4–5) DPNs or circulars for magic loop
  • Notions: Stitch markers, cable needle, tapestry needle, scissors
  • Gauge: 24 sts & 32 rows = 10 cm (4") in stockinette

Stitch Counts by Size

Section

S

M

L

XL

Cast‑on total sts

44

48

52

56

Front (instep) sts

22

24

26

28

Back (heel) sts

22

24

26

28

Side stockinette sts each side of cable panel

6

8

9

10

Cable Panel (center front)

  • P1, 7‑st cable, P1 (9 sts total)
  • Side stockinette stitches fill out the rest of the front stitches.

Pattern

1. Cuff

  • Cast on: 44 (48, 52, 56) sts.
  • Join in the round, place marker for start.
  • Work K2, P2 rib for 12–15 rounds.

2. Leg

  • Arrange stitches so front has 22 (24, 26, 28) sts, back has same.
  • Front setup:
    • Side stockinette: K6 (8, 9, 10)
    • P1, work 7‑st cable panel, P1
    • Side stockinette: K6 (8, 9, 10)
  • Back: Knit all sts.
  • Work cable panel repeat (Rounds 1–8 from chart) until leg measures 15–18 cm.

As you can probably see, the stitch count doesn't add up. The cable is 9 stitches wide, an uneven number, and the front and back have even numbers of stitches. I asked AI this:

"Now that the chart has an uneven number of stitches, and won't be centered, can you write the patter so that it is centered, or off centered on different sides on different leg sock, or alter the chart so that it is a 8 stitch chart, with 1 purl-stitches on each side."

And got this answer:

Got it — you want to solve the “odd‑number” problem so the cable panel can be perfectly centered (or deliberately offset for mirrored socks), and you’d like the chart itself to be 8 stitches wide with purl stitches framing it.

AI chose to alter the cable, but I wanted to continue with my 9-stitch cable, so I offset it with one stitch. 

To be like this:

  • Front setup Left sock:
    • Side stockinette: K6 (8, 9, 10)
    • P1, work 7‑st cable panel, P1
    • Side stockinette: K7 (8, 10, 11)
  • Front setup Left sock:
    • Side stockinette: K7 (8, 10, 11)
    • P1, work 7‑st cable panel mirrored, P1 
    • Side stockinette: K6 (8, 9, 10)

3. Heel Flap 

Author: This is where it goes wrong. If you're a seasoned knitter, you can work your way through it, but as a beginner, not. Because you are at the end of the back stitches, and AI want you to continue from the beginning of the front stitches. So, you would have to:

a) cut yarn and attach again at the beginning of the back stitches.

b) turn your work and start with row 2. 

I chose the latter one and ended with an "extra" WS row.

  • Work over back stitches only:
    • Row 1 (RS): Slip 1, K1 across.
    • Row 2 (WS): Slip 1, purl across.
    • Repeat until flap is square: 22 (24, 26, 28) rows. 

Also: 22 rows and 22 stitches is not a square in knitting!

4. Turn Heel

  • Row 1 (RS): Knit to center + 2 sts, ssk, K1, turn.
  • Row 2 (WS): Slip 1, purl to center + 2 sts, p2tog, P1, turn.
  • Repeat these two rows, working one stitch past the gap each time, until all heel stitches are worked — you’ll have 12 (14, 14, 16) sts.

Can’t get 12 sts. Got 13 two times, then 14. And 14 on the second sock too.

Or a very Finnish heel turn with 8 sts in the middle, if I follow the pattern literally, but I don’t like it, so I made my own that looks like this:

  • (RS): Sl1, k to 1 st before gap, ssk, turn
  • (WS): Sl1, p to 1 st before gap, p2tog, turn.
  • Repeat these two rows, until you’ll have 12 (14, 14, 16) sts.

Both styles work, but I like this better, for some reason. From here on the pattern seems to work fine! 

5. Gusset

  • Knit across heel sts.
  • Pick up 11 (12, 13, 14) sts along heel flap edge.
  • Work across instep in pattern.
  • Pick up 11 (12, 13, 14) sts along other heel flap edge.
  • Knit to round start.

Here's how to pick up stitches from the edge so that there's no holes! 

6. Decreases

  • Round 1: Knit to 3 sts before instep, k2tog, K1; work instep in pattern; K1, ssk, knit to end.
  • Round 2: Knit all sts (maintain cable pattern on instep).
  • Repeat until you’re back to 44 (48, 52, 56) sts.

How to make the NEATEST left leaning decreases of your knitting life! 

 

7. Foot

  • Continue in pattern on instep, stockinette on sole, until foot is 5 cm shorter than desired length.

8. Toe

  • Round 1: Knit to 3 sts before instep, k2tog, K1; K1, ssk, knit to 3 sts before end, k2tog, K1; K1, ssk, knit to end.
  • Round 2: Knit all sts.
  • Repeat Rounds 1–2 until 20 (20, 24, 24) sts remain, then decrease every round until 12 (12, 16, 16) sts remain.

9. Finishing

  • Graft toe with Kitchener stitch.
  • Weave in ends, block lightly.

💡 Fit tips:

  • If you have a high instep, add 1–2 extra gusset decrease-repeats before returning to the original stitch count.
  • For a snugger fit in the cuff, drop down one needle size just for the ribbing.

Chart Key

Symbol

Meaning

○

Purl stitch

●

Knit stitch

⧫

Slip 4 sts to cable needle, hold in front, K3, then K4 from cable needle (C4F over 7 sts)

📊 Cable Panel Chart (9 stitches wide: P1, 7‑st cable, P1)

Koodi

Round 1:  ○ ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ○

Round 2:  ○ ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ○

Round 3:  ○ ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ○

Round 4:  ○ ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ○

Round 5:  ○ ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ○

Round 6:  ○ ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ○

Round 7:  ○ ⧫                 ○

Round 8:  ○ ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ○

 

How to read it:

  • Work Rounds 1–6 as: P1, K7, P1.
  • Round 7: P1, work the 7‑stitch cable cross (C4F), P1.
  • Round 8: P1, K7, P1.
  • Repeat Rounds 1–8 for the length of the leg and foot instep.

 

💡 Pro tip: If you want the cable to stand out even more, you can make the knit stitches twisted (knit through the back loop) on all non‑cable rounds.

 

Conclusions

AI can't write sock patterns on its own. For this pattern I had to make adjustments and check math myself.

What it did do and was great at, was writing the actual text and gathering the abbreviations. If it were to make it into a pdf-pattern, I would have to make quite a lot of layout changes and draw the charts. If you want to see how that would look, you can get 25% off of my patterns by signing up to my newsletter. 


I hope you enjoy this pattern! 

 

Pattern developed with assistance from Microsoft Copilot, using the latest available model at the time of writing.

Some links in this post are affiliate links. Using them supports my work at no extra cost to you.

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