duyan

DUYAN is a triangular shawl knitted from the top down with a dandelion puff motif interspersed by easy lace mesh. A ‘duyan’ (the inspiration for this knit), is the Filipino word for a hammock or swing that is used to rock a baby to sleep. This pattern is inspired by a popular Filipino lullaby that I began singing to my son when he was born. “Sa Ugoy ng Duyan” (literally, the swaying of the hammock) is a melody I’ve heard all my life–it being a favorite song for school children to be taught so they can sing it at school shows to bring audiences packed with families to tears.

This is a light shawl worked in fingering-weight yarn. Traditional duyans are woven, basket-style out of flexible strips of fibrous material, but parents fashion their own duyans out of many kinds of sturdy fabric. The easy lace mesh motif echoes this basket weave, and dandelion puffs always remind me of the bright carefree summer days of childhood. The motif provides a whimsical touch to the shawl’s texture, and the steady alternating repetitions of the mesh and dandelion sections echo the repetitive lulling of the song I sang over and over to my son as he drifted off to sleep. A sweet reminder of those blurry sleepless newborn days where I held him for all his naps because he refused to sleep otherwise (until he was around 10 months old, I might add!). Wrap it around your shoulders on a cool summer evening as the children run circles around you blowing dandelion globes into the dusky light. Take it with you on that much-needed walk to remind you of sweet days filled with the company of those you love.