AI in Crocheting

There’s a recent new trend in the crochet circles of social media. AI in crocheting is popping up, it seems like all over the place. But it’s not overt, or blazingly obvious. In fact, these AI crochet images are tricking many artists. And only a few are able to call out what is happening. In this post, I share a bit more about what is going on, my feelings on why it might be happening, and what it is that we can do about it. Is AI going to take over these slow handicrafts? Will there be push back from the communities themselves? Or is AI potentially a helpful tool?

The trend I’m talking about is this Crochet Heart Image that appears with text like “so easy I made 50 of these in one day!”. The handle of the poster, you can tell is foreign if not completely made up. They look like they have been made from one of the image generation tools. You can discern this from a few clues.

The center magic ring has different numbers of double crochets which don’t seem to make sense. The color changes don’t make sense. And just the overall feeling of the image – the tones, and clarity, it feels fake. I can’t find the original post anymore. But I have been able to track down a few people trying to claim this pattern. When you see these photos, the overwhelming response is appreciation, and desire for the pattern. There are only a few people commenting that it is most likely generated by AI.

Claiming the Pattern:

This pattern popped up mysteriously. No one really knows who first made the image. But many are trying to claim the pattern. Anna Marie Benthem has a crochet heart pattern. This pattern has been picked up by the Site ILoveCrafts, as the pattern for the image, but they are not the actual same project. Then, this same website attempted to share a pattern that

Personally, I’ve been making this Heart Pattern by Hooked by Robin, I’ve just added a slip stitch all around the pattern to help even out my gauge. I’m a knitter first, trying to learn how to crochet so I might not be doing Robin’s pattern justice.

Other AI Generated projects:

But What Does This Mean for Fiber Artists:

My initial feeling was to scream NOOOOooooo inot my laptop screen! I am a content marketer and writing is my profession. Currently, we are pushing back against people using AI to generate content. Kids are using it to try to cheat their writing assignments, entrepreneurs are using it to try to hack their SEO, and now it seems like even pattern generation will be affected.

I have sat with this thought for a while now. Manufacturing has replaced hand knitting. Crochet is still safe from this development. But now the design aspect might also be taken over by machines. I don’t know how I feel about this. It kind of feels like when AI first started to be used for content generation. But if we look at that as our model, the content is still clunky, repetitive, and of a lesser quality. Extrapolating that to crocheting and knitting, we might find new inspiration for projects, but it is still us, the humans who have to map out the stitches and skills, in the correct sequences.

Will AI Take Over Handicrafts?

My gut feeling is that no, AI will not take over handicrafts. I do believe we are seeing an influence, but that this might be the extent of said influence. It is my sincere hope that I am not wrong in this thought.

Will We See Pushback from These Communities?

It is my belief that yes, we will see pushback. It will take a minute though. There are still very many people in these communities who are not well versed with or who maybe have ever interacted AI so there is a learning curve that will have to take place. As the younger and more technologically experienced members of these communities it is up to us to call out AI where and when we see it to help show other people the potential pitfalls.

Could AI Potentially Be a Helpful Tool in Crocheting and Knitting?

I’m not sure. As a pattern designer I have to admit that I do feel threatened by this encroachment. Until now, crocheting, knitting, sewing, they all felt like safe retreats from technology. They’re a way to slow down time, to unravel the thoughts in our heads, and to create something that is now, unique and apart from the fast paced world.

Crochet, Knitting, and other fiber arts are also a way for many of us to make a profit. I am all about teaching people to knit, and I want more people to be able to create their own patterns. However, flooding communities with confusing patterns, or patterns that don’t work, can cause a lot of havoc. It is also worrisome that AI might enable some to steal patterns without paying, to copy other peoples’ work. And we are already seeing many cheap and fast fashion brands knocking off designs and mass producing cheap copies. This both threatens designers and makers, and the plant.

The truth is that while, I have to admit, I like this heart pattern and want to be able to make it myself, I don’t see much good coming from AI in crochet. Time will tell whether I stand corrected or if my fears will come to fruition.

AI Tools for Crochet

After all my worry and hedging my bets, there are some helpful tools that you can use. Some tools help to choose color palettes for projects, and some help you plan your project if you don’t have a pattern or want to buy one.

The Crochet Studio App

This helpful tool is free and easy to use on your phone. It helps plan your projects from palettes to yarns, to even laying out the colors in your stripes, your granny squares, etc. I haven’t tried this app personally but I’ve seen video reviews of it and crocheters are loving it. Personally, I fee l like it takes a bit of the human touch out of the process but that’s just me.

How do you feel about this?