Fiber Review: Multiverse Sock Yarns

Modern science has influenced knitting in many ways, from developing synthetic fibers such as nylon to creating the vibrant dyes used to make multicolored yarns. Here are four science-inspired yarns to experiment with.

LORNA’S LACES SHEPHERD SOCK (affiliate link)

Content: 80% superwash merino wool, 20% nylon
Color: Nitrogen
Put-up: 435 yd (398 m)/3.5 oz (100 g)
Recommended Needles: Size 0–1 (2–2.25 mm)
Care: Machine wash

Nitrogen is the most abundant pure element in Earth’s atmosphere, although it wasn’t formally discovered until 1772. Early alchemists used nitrogen in the form of nitric acid to create aqua regia (“royal water”), so named because it could dissolve gold.

STRING THEORY COLORWORKS ORBIT

Content: 80% superwash merino, 20% nylon
Color: Cyanobacteria
Put-up: 328 yd (299 m)/3.5 oz (100 g)
Recommended Needles: Size 2–4 (2.75–3.5 mm)
Care: Machine wash

Cyanobacteria (also called blue-green algae) are primitive cellular organisms that have been around for billions of years. They may be responsible for life as we know it, releasing oxygen through photosynthesis and creating an environment perfect for evolving organisms.

NERD GIRL YARNS SWAGGER

Content: 100% superwash Bluefaced Leicester
Color: Gallifrey
Put-up: 435 yd (400 m)/3.5 oz (100 g)
Recommended Needles: Size 1–3 (2.25–3.25 mm)
Care: Machine wash

Who knows what undiscovered planets might be out there? The search for inhabited planets and Earth-like solar systems has ignited our imaginations, fueled space programs, and inspired everything from Starfleet to SETI (search for extraterrestrial intelligence).

YARN CARNIVAL YAK ATTACK

Content: 80% superwash merino, 20% yak
Color: Time Traveler
Put-up: 437 yd (400 m)/3.5 oz (100 g)
Recommended Needles: Size 1–3 (2.25–3.25 mm)
Care: Machine wash

Einstein’s theory of general relativity states that time moves at different speeds depending on the strength of gravity. Astronauts are actually time travelers—every year, astronauts on the International Space Station age 0.01 second less than those of us on Earth.

(Photos by George Boe)

Knit some out-of-this-world socks!