That skein: Hitchhiker

Sometimes you plan out the perfect yarn for the perfect pattern, and the whole thing comes out as inspiring as a Hefty bag.  Other times, an amazing project seams to materialize in your lap without any thanks to planning or forethought.  This is a story of one of the latter experiences.  

When I was buying yarn from Webs for several baby projects last Spring, I was just a few dollars away from getting their big discount, so I bought a single skein of sock yarn to put me over the top.  This is Pagewood Farms Chugiak in the Prism colorway. 

When it arrived, I regretted it.  I had no idea what I was going to do with this highly variegated yarn.  I really don't like pooling, which is when the colors that are so nicely mixed up in the skein clump together in splotches in your project.  So I stuck it in my stash expecting it to stay there forever. 

Then the Yarniacs, a fantastic podcast, hosted a brilliant KAL: knit something using one of the Pantone fall colors.  I searched through my stash and discovered that this skein had about three or four of the colors.  It would be perfect for fall.  But what to knit?  I did not want to take these pretty colors and splotch them all up in poorly planned pooling.

On Ravelry, I like to browse patterns by what's Hot Right Now, or what is getting the most page views.  For basically years, the Hitchhiker pattern has floated around the Hot Right Now page, which is hard to do for a pattern that's been around for a while.  In all those months, though, I never clicked on it.  Something about the cover picture left me as uninspired as that skein of yarn up there. 

When I was looking for a pattern for this yarn, I decided it should be garter stitch to break up the colors.  I wanted to make a shawl for fall.  I searched patterns with these criteria, and Hitchhiker kept coming up near the top.  So I finally clicked around to have a look.  I began to think it might have potential.  In an uncharacteristic move, I didn't over think it; I just cast on. 

This was a breeze to knit.  It was fun and simple, but not boring.  The colors turned out to be amazing, so they kept things interesting, and seeing the shawl instantly take shape was pretty motivational.  The yarn has a very tight twist, which I think would make it good for socks.  It means it's not very cozy for a shawl or scarf, but it's worked out okay.

I think this will be easy to wear, wrapped around my neck like a scarf.  I think I can tuck the ends in if I want it to look more like a cowl. 

I'm pretty pleased with this successful project that came out of nowhere.  Instead of regretting that skein purchase, I wish I'd bought more!  I think I'll be knitting another of Martina Behm's garter stitch shawls in the weeks ahead!