This listing is for a PDF hand knitting pattern. String Theory is an infinity scarf, worked flat in rows, starting from an optional Provisional Cast-on. At the end it is given a one-half twist and the ends are grafted together to form a single, continuous round. The moss stitch base and four-stitch cable are perfectly reversible, creating a scarf with no discernible beginning or end. The simple repeat is eight stitches wide and twelve rows long, allowing for enormous flexibility in the length and width.

The design was inspired by string theory, a theoretical framework in which particles are made up of one-dimensional, vibrating strings. The simple, flat, back and forth pattern of cables in the pattern represent the vibrations, and the construction of an infinity scarf, which has no beginning, no end, and only one side, represents the single dimension of the strings.

Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate

Required skills: Knit stitch, purl stitch, cables, optional provisional cast on, optional kitchener stitch seaming

Materials

Yarn: 200 yards worsted weight (shown here in undyed CloudBorn Fibers Alpaca Silk Wool)

Needles: US size 8 straight or circular needles, or size needed to obtain gauge

Notions: Cable needle, yarn needle

Optional: a crochet hook and scrap yarn for the Provisional Cast-on

Gauge: 20 stitches and 32 rows = 4”/10cm in stockinette stitch after blocking