Hyperbolicity conjecture for swatches reducible into knit and purl swatches

Let $L\thinspace\subset T^2\times I$ be an $m\times n$ swatch, and let $H$ be the Hopf link used to form the corresponding link $H\cup f(L)\subset S^3$. A swatch is reducible in terms of knit swatches and purl swatches when it is obtained from such swatches by the relevant annulus-sum operations. Hyperbolicity conjecture. If $L$ is reducible in terms of knit swatches and purl swatches, then the $(n+2)$-component link $H\cup f(L)\subset S^3$ is hyperbolic.

This conjecture concerns the geometric structure of link complements arising from periodic knitted patterns. The source motivates it with numerical computations and contrasts these reducible swatches with irreducible swatches that can yield non-hyperbolic links; no resolution is supplied.