I’d be willing to bet that nearly everyone reading this blog has at some point or other encountered, if not made, Martina Behm’s Hitchhiker shawl. Published a decade ago this month, it is a pattern that has had enormous staying power: a fixture of yarn shops, hand-dyers’ show stalls and, of course, our necks! There are nearly 33,000 Hitchhiker projects on Ravelry – so imagine how many must actually exist! – and it’s not hard to see why. The pattern is innovative, wearable and flexible, allowing you to make the most of a special skein of hand-dyed yarn (which the pattern works particularly well with). It’s beginner-friendly but enjoyable for more seasoned knitters too.

The Hitchhiker has been a canvas on which Martina Behm has continued to whip up all sorts of beauty. These little masterpieces come together to form her latest book, The Hitchhiker Collection: 20 Knitted Shawls by Martina Behm. It’s a cornucopia of delights for shawl lovers: there’s texture and structure, there’s lace, there’s colourplay. While plenty of the patterns are beginner-friendly, there’s also lots of chances to learn new techniques. It’s no mean feat to come up with designs that are simultaneously wonderfully innovative and eminently approachable, and Martina manages to do it again and again. They’re the sort of patterns that make you feel more clever for having knit them … if you can’t tell, we’re dazzled! And we think you will be too!

The collection includes well-loved classics like Leftie, Trillian and Heaven & Space (those are links to Ravelry) as well as a trio of brand new patterns which are exclusive to the book (and won’t be available as individual downloads). Bunny & Claire (pictured below) is a terrific two-colour shawl that is a fabulous introduction to intarsia (as an aside, we’re officially calling it: intarsia is the new brioche, but easier…).

If you’re in the mood for some lovely texture, Treehiker, also new for this collection, is a knockout, with textured leaves that fit pleasingly into the bias shape of the classic Hitchhiker. We reckon Treehiker would look amazing in 4 skeins of Coop Knits Socks Yeah! 4ply (if you like the yellow, then Sphene would be wonderful).

Hope & Confidence, named for the famous Elizabeth Zimmerman quote ("Knit on with confidence and hope, through all crises.”) was originally a bonus pattern for the Strickmich! 2020 club and is now also available to the wider public in The Hitchhiker Collection. It combines relaxing garter with dramatic loops for a fun and interesting shawl.

All three new patterns, as well as the other whopping 17 in the collection, have the added bonus of, like the original Hitchhiker, being completely adaptable to the amount of yarn you have, making them excellent stashbusters. So pick a pattern, pick some yarn, and say goodbye to awkward leftovers!

The Hitchhiker Collection is now available in the online shop for £26.50. With 20 patterns, this works out at just over £1 per pattern, which we think is pretty great value for money, even if you have one or two of the classic shawls in this book in your digital library. There’s something so satisfying about being able to page through a clever knitting pattern book (it’s a beautiful hard-back, full colour edition) so why not treat yourself? It’d also make a lovely gift for a knitting friend! With so many patterns to choose from, the only question is how will you choose which to cast on first? Why not pop a Zauberball (or Zauberball Crazy) in with your order, and you’ll have yarn for almost half of the patterns in the book!