Thirty Thousand Knitters Can't be Wrong
Two years ago in August, my husband and I were in New York City to, among other things, move our daughter in for her first year at NYU law school. On a Wednesday, while she was busy getting oriented, Chuck had agreed to let me explore some of the stores I'd always wanted to visit in New York. We started at Books of Wonder (not our first visit, and maybe not the day or time to have been there), Mood Fabrics (wonderful and overwhelming) and finally, late that warm afternoon, Purl of Soho.
Purl of Soho carries Koigu yarn. Koigu is one of the first hand-painted yarns I was aware of -- it's been a feature of knitting magazine ads since what feels like forever (really my whole adult life). I've never bought any, or knit with it. But this day, that was what caught my eye. I started choosing skeins, and came up with 3 or 4 I liked. Meanwhile, Chuck had found a chair at the long table that runs down the center of the shop, and was conversing with a woman there while I shopped. This nice lady saw my yarns and said, "You ought to make a Hitchhiker with that."
And so, with a project idea, I chose three skeins.
And I made a Hitchhiker.
I bought the yarn in August of 2017, and started the scarf in November of 2018. I finished it a couple of weeks ago. That makes it look like this took a long time -- but really, it was the project I used in between times. If you worked straight through, it would be a pretty quick knit. It was the perfect travel knitting, the perfect break from more complicated knitting.
When I transitioned between the three colors, I alternated the new skein with the old one for a while until I ran out of the "old" color. That and the common colors in the yarn made for a pretty nice fade between skeins. It's not perfect, but I like it. There's a little blue mixed with these grays that isn't showing in these pictures.
I think my city-knitter friend was right. This yarn did make a good Hitchhiker. There are over thirty thousand Hitchhiker shawls on Ravelry. People have used lots of different yarns, and there are quite a few variations. It's a simple pattern with a nice result. If you have a souvenir skein of sock yarn, or a variegated yarn you can't quite figure out what to do with, this might be a pattern to consider.
Purl of Soho carries Koigu yarn. Koigu is one of the first hand-painted yarns I was aware of -- it's been a feature of knitting magazine ads since what feels like forever (really my whole adult life). I've never bought any, or knit with it. But this day, that was what caught my eye. I started choosing skeins, and came up with 3 or 4 I liked. Meanwhile, Chuck had found a chair at the long table that runs down the center of the shop, and was conversing with a woman there while I shopped. This nice lady saw my yarns and said, "You ought to make a Hitchhiker with that."
And so, with a project idea, I chose three skeins.
And I made a Hitchhiker.
I bought the yarn in August of 2017, and started the scarf in November of 2018. I finished it a couple of weeks ago. That makes it look like this took a long time -- but really, it was the project I used in between times. If you worked straight through, it would be a pretty quick knit. It was the perfect travel knitting, the perfect break from more complicated knitting.
When I transitioned between the three colors, I alternated the new skein with the old one for a while until I ran out of the "old" color. That and the common colors in the yarn made for a pretty nice fade between skeins. It's not perfect, but I like it. There's a little blue mixed with these grays that isn't showing in these pictures.
I think my city-knitter friend was right. This yarn did make a good Hitchhiker. There are over thirty thousand Hitchhiker shawls on Ravelry. People have used lots of different yarns, and there are quite a few variations. It's a simple pattern with a nice result. If you have a souvenir skein of sock yarn, or a variegated yarn you can't quite figure out what to do with, this might be a pattern to consider.
Hitchhiker
- designed by Martina Behm, and available in a bunch of languages
- Koigu Painter's Palette Premium Merino, in colors P907 and 312P and Koigu Premium Merino color 3010 (allegedly a solid neutral, but it's only solid compared to the KPPPM yarn) each skein 50g/175 yd, 100% Merino wool
- My Ravelry notes say I used a US 2.5 needle (3mm). I'm guessing I either used a 2 or a 3, but now it's put away so I can only wonder. Use a needle that gives you a nice fabric, and it'll be fine.
That is just a lovely Hitchhiker, Pam, with a great story to boot! I've never made one myself, but think I may just need to give the pattern a try. Simple elegance. XO
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