Tree Hay is a v-neck tank top featuring branch-like stranded colourwork, perfect for layering up over a shirt or dress in the autumn, or under a knitted cardigan for extra warmth in winter. Tree Hay is worked from the bottom up, with stranded colourwork on the body and steeks for the neck and arms. There’s contrasting ribbing to finish the edges, with an optional split hem and short-row shaping on the neckband and armholes. My Westcountry collection of knitting patterns This knit design is part of From This Land, a capsule collection of 5 knitting patterns, using undyed yarns from local farms in the South-West of England. Each design is inspired by a visit to the farm the yarn is from. For the Tree Hay Tank, I collaborated with Rachel Hall of Gutchpool Farm in the north east of Dorset, just a few miles from my own home. Her Dorset Down and Shetland sheep provided the wool for this knit design. I chose the soft, creamy Dorset Down to pair with two Shetland shades: a warm cinnamony brown and a rich, heathery charcoal. Spun at The Natural Fibre Mill in Cornwall, these yarns are perfect for the branch-inspired stranded colourwork. Design inspiration The inspiration for this knitting pattern came from the brushwood gathered on Gutchpool Farm. These branches, which serve as winter fodder for the sheep and create a wetland corridor found on the farm, inspired the colourwork motif that covers the body of the hand-knit tank top. About the collection Thanks to South-West England Fibreshed for partially funding the development of this collection of knitting patterns, which also includes a cabled cardigan, colourwork mittens, a textured scarf and a felted hat.
