When Ellen Mason and Tammy White created The Happiest Yarn and came up with an amazing bag of 12 different colors of hand-dyed mini skeins to go with the neutrals, I saw only only one way to be sure this yarn gets all the love it needs - and that’s to share it!

When I sat down to design, I had just returned from Shetland and was inspired to create a simple, stranded mitt pattern that could play with all these colors. Blended Scotch is a classic design, simple enough to work with a variety of color combinations, allow for easy modifications, and be a quick, satisfying knit. It can be worked a number of ways, so that different levels of knitters in a group of friends can each walk away with a pair they love! (see www.babycocktails.com and the pattern comments for ideas on modifying for fit or skill level.)

I was also inspired by the charming tween movie, that yes I’ve watched, called Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants -- and while playing with the bag of colors, I started to see a Sisterhood of the Traveling Mitts evolve. (or Brotherhood or Friendhood or whatever gender applies to your knitting circle!)

Here’s how it would work:

1. Gather a group of 4-5 friends.

2. Gather your yarn. One bag of minis (12 colors, 75 yds each) and two natural skeins (a white, and a gray, 200 yds each) will make 5 mitts of various color combinations.

3. Gather your copies of the pattern (one copy for each knitter).

4. The first knitter makes their mitts, sending the remaining yarn onto the next knitter who will make theirs, sending on the remaining yarn, and so on. Discussion, emails, notes on what has been used, and photos are shared during the process, and fun things can travel from knitter to knitter in the box of yarn.

5. The last knitter gets to keep the leftovers!

6. If you can, gather your sisterhood together when finished to photograph your hands for Ravelry! Because that’s always fun.

And yes, you can also just knit the pattern solo, and it’s a great way to use up your own leftovers!

Important info:

Pattern: The Blended Scotch pattern is for ONE pair of mitts. Please, please purchase your own copy and do not share the pattern among your group. The yarn is meant to be shared, the PDF is not.

Yardage per mitt: Each mitt uses about 80(90)yards/ 75(85)m of a background color, about 25yds/23m each of three accent colors, and about 10 yards of a fourth. If you have a larger group or are substituting yarn, plan accordingly.

Yarn The Happiest Yarn is a limited quantity yarn. You will find a few kits at the Battenkill Fibers booth at Rhinebeck this weekend while quantities last.

Ellen’s shop is sold out for now (you guys were fast!), but there will be a few post Rhinebeck kits and I promise to keep you all posted!

Once those post Rhinebeck kits are gone, we must wait for the sheep! (June)

If you cannot wait, Jamieson Double Knitting is a great sub yarn, available in over 100 colors worldwide!

More info about the project and details are on my blog at http://www.babycocktails.com