It’s been called the Big Valley, the Breadbasket of California, the Great Valley, and even the Golden Empire . To many, it’s simply “The Valley” – miles and miles and rows and rows of agriculture as far as the eye can see! To novelist John Steinbeck, it was the setting for several of his classic stories. But, to anyone roadtripping along Interstate 5 (simply “the 5” to most Californians) through the heart of the state, the Central Valley becomes a fun guessing game of what’s growing on either side of the road.

This easy-to-knit design was inspired by the view of the valley from the air - stripes of plowed rows, recently harvested or newly planted fields, and the fun patterns they create. Just 3 colors of greens and golds evoke the look of acres of crops. But the fun checkerboard pattern itself would look amazing in any 3 colors.