I think this gives a generalised version of what you are asking for:
def permutation[X](iter: Iterable[X], len: Int) = {
def acc(items: List[X], count: Int): Stream[List[X]] = {
if (count == 0) Stream(items) else iter.toStream.flatMap( x => acc(x :: items, count - 1))
}
acc(List.empty[X], len)
}
Example usages:
scala> permutaion(1 to 3, 3)
res4: Stream[List[Int]] = Stream(List(1, 1, 1), ?)
scala> permutaion(1 to 3, 3).toList
res5: List[List[Int]] = List(List(1, 1, 1), ?)
res5: List[List[Int]] = List(List(1, 1, 1), List(2, 1, 1), List(3, 1, 1), List(1, 2, 1), List(2, 2, 1), List(3, 2, 1), List(1, 3, 1), List(2, 3, 1), List(3, 3, 1), List(1, 1, 2), List(2, 1, 2), List(3, 1, 2), List(1, 2, 2), List(2, 2, 2), List(3, 2, 2), List(1, 3, 2), List(2, 3, 2), List(3, 3, 2), List(1, 1, 3), List(2, 1, 3), List(3, 1, 3), List(1, 2, 3), List(2, 2, 3), List(3, 2, 3), List(1, 3, 3), List(2, 3, 3), List(3, 3, 3))
scala> permutation("abc", 3)
res6: Stream[List[Char]] = Stream(List(a, a, a), ?)
scala> permutation("abc", 3).toList
res7: List[List[Char]] = List(List(a, a, a), List(b, a, a), List(c, a, a), List(a, b, a), List(b, b, a), List(c, b, a), List(a, c, a), List(b, c, a), List(c, c, a), List(a, a, b), List(b, a, b), List(c, a, b), List(a, b, b), List(b, b, b), List(c, b, b), List(a, c, b), List(b, c, b), List(c, c, b), List(a, a, c), List(b, a, c), List(c, a, c), List(a, b, c), List(b, b, c), List(c, b, c), List(a, c, c), List(b, c, c), List(c, c, c))