Hitchhiking can be dangerous…

25,272 Ravelry knitters have made Hitchhiker, and now I am # 25,273! Somehow I never showed you this project while I was working it, and now it’s done. It is easily memorized, addictive, and I can’t imagine this will be my last version.

I used this beautiful skein of sock yarn that I bought in Alaska this summer. The colors could not be more “Alaska,” with the moody blues and greens, and even an occasional speckle of fuchsia, which reminds me of the fireweed that was in bloom during our visit. Sometimes knitters get a LOT of pooling when they knit this, as the length of the rows changes… but I saw none of that here. The color changes were very short and this yarn produced a fabric with evenly distributed colors. I LOVE IT.

I started working this on a 3.0mm needle but soon realized my fabric was a little tight. I switched to 3.25mm after the 9th “tooth” and was happier. Even so, my finished shawl was a little short. I only had enough yarn for 37 teeth (the pattern suggests 41) and the fabric was delightfully squishy but a bit tight. I measured it – 49.5” tip to tip on the long edge. Then I decided to block it. I gave it a bath and laid it out to dry – no stretching or pinning, just spread out. And it grew – to 61”! Now it’s plenty long to drape around my neck. I think the depth isn’t quite as much now, but I’ll happily trade that for length.

The only thing I would do differently next time is to store the project in a bigger bag. I kept it in the type of bag I usually use for socks. After all, it uses the same amount of yarn. but somehow my needle tips kept snagging the fabric while they were in the bag. I had to weave in a couple of snags that showed in the final scarf. I guess tip protectors would also be helpful.

I had only 2.3 grams of yarn remaining after my last repeat – DEFINITELY not enough for another repeat (or maybe even another row). That will go into my I Love Leftovers sock yarn blanket… though I know it won’t even yield me a full square. Overall, I’m very happy with this project!