The Hitchhiker by Martina Behm - best shawl pattern ever!

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There are knitting patterns you enjoy, and then there are the ones you keep coming back to. For me, the Hitchhiker shawl by Martina Behm firmly falls into that second category.  

I don’t think I fully appreciated it the first time I knit one.  I saw a sample of a Hitchhiker in a knitting store on vacation back in 2016 and promptly bought the yarn and pattern.  It seemed like the perfect vacation pattern. Simple.  Just garter stitch, a bit of shaping, those little “teeth” along the edge. However, this pattern has just clicked with me.  It always looks great and is just brilliant.



My first Hitchhiker in 2016

It is the perfect “just one more row” project

The rhythm of this knit project also makes it a perfect on the go project for vacations or when your brain is full from work but you still want to knit. It is a simple increasing and decreasing pattern over a series of 8 rows.  All those signature "teeth" mean you’re always working toward the next little milestone. I love it because it is the kind of project you can pick up for a few minutes if that is all you have or work pleasantly to relax on a sunny afternoon or snowy day indoors.  It is easy to put down and come back to later without drastically losing your place or forgetting where you are.



It is the perfect pattern for that one skein of beautiful yarn you bought

I love visiting new yarn stores when we are on vacation and buying a beautiful skein to bring home.  This pattern is perfect for showing off some of those holiday purchases. Gradients, speckles, hand-dyed skeins all look good in a Hitchhiker. It is simple so it let's the yarn shine!  Each shawl ends up looking and feeling unique.

I’ve made versions where I just wanted something easy to match an outfit, and ended up with something that looked far more impressive than the effort required. It is incredibly wearable and seems to work with all types of outfits. In fact, I would say that these are my most worn scarves - I use them all the time.



Some patterns are a one-and-done. This is not one of them.

The Hitchhiker is the pattern I reach for when I have a gorgeous single skein, when I need a comfort knit to keep my brain calm after challenging days at work, or when I just want something I know will turn out beautifully. It’s reliable in the best possible way.

And honestly, it’s just fun.

I am a big fan of Martina Behm's work but the Hitchhiker (and its reverse - the Hitchhiker Beyond) are my all time favourites.

If you haven’t knit it yet, I’d highly recommend it. And if you have, you probably already know exactly what I mean.

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