This simple scarf/shawlette is not named after a contemporary Italian designer, but rather after a 13th century mathematician, in whose book a particular sequence of numbers appeared for the first time in the West (the origin of the sequence was actually in India). The first two numbers in the Fibonacci sequence are 0 and 1, and each subsequent number is the sum of the previous two. In this scarf, the garter stitch ridges appear in the same order: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13. One could keep going, if a larger shawl were desired.

This is a piece both easy to knit, and useful as a head covering, neckerchief, or shawl. The crescent shape wings allow it to drape attractively around the shoulders, while the Shetland lace bind off (similar to a 2-stitch I-cord) gives the long outer edge just enough heft. I used a hand-dyed merino/mohair blend and a similar sock yarn, but you could try it out in a Shetland-type wool such as Kauni or Brooklyn Tweed’s Loft, or a handspun luxury fibre.

For a mathematical perspective on this design, see these comments by a computer science professor.

Wearing Fibonacci