Shifting Sands is a bridge between past and present, a liminal space of connection to a lost loved one.

My earliest memories of my dad are of standing together at the beach, holding hands with our feet sinking into the sand as the waves washed over out feet. Dad was a being of sunshine and salt water, and from an early age, he shared his love of the ocean with me. Now, almost three years after his death, the sandy beaches are where I feel closest to him. When I visit my home country and revisit the many beaches he took me to, I dig my feet into the sand and know that he was here once too. These shifting sands connect us across space and time.

Shifting Sands is a top-down triangular shawl with cascading waves of color. The combination of soothing stockinette, garter, and wave motif make it a meditative and engaging project. Simple enough for a meditative project, and enough complexity to keep it interesting! Instructions are both charted and written.

I used Wooldreamers Dehesa de Barrera DK because this deeply personal design needed a yarn that felt equally special. I am very passionate about Wooldreamers and their mission of supporting heritage merino farms in Spain. As a lovely coincidence, my dad loved Spain and some of the happiest times in his life were when he got to live in Madrid for a few years.

Yarn: 3 Skeins of Wooldreamers Dehesa de Barrera DK

Color A: Queso Curado

Color B: Alpaca de Trigo

Color C: Campo Arado

Difficulty: Intermediate

Gauge: 19.5 stitches x 30 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) in stockinette stitch before blocking

Needles: 32” (80 cm) or 40” (100 cm) US7 (4.5 mm) circular needles, or size needed to obtain gauge