Background
The design of this square was initiated by Wrapped in Jamie’s Square 11 – Next of Kin.
You can read the Background Story to that square here:
Background Story to Square 11 – Next of Kin
Most of the design principles mentioned there apply here as well. (Scroll down to Designer’s Thoughts to read them)
The issue with Square 11 was that most CAL participants who had been with me from the beginning were now used to the technique, to reading the patterns and – rightfully – expected another challenging pattern.
With many sc-only-rounds and very few special stitches, Square 11 is not really a big challenge though. That’s why, as an alternative, I wanted to offer a different version.
On the night before I intended to reveal the alternative design, my designer colleague Mark aka The Guy With The Hook, published his wonderful Sadako’s Blanket Pattern.
I love the texture of the blanket, however I was shocked about the resemblance of the pattern to the one I had just finished. Concerned about copyright, I got in contact with Mark to sort out any issues.
This man is such a great guy. I am super happy to say that he does not see any conflict between his Sadako Blanket and One of a Kin(d) and that he gave me green lights to go ahead, so here we go.
One of a Kin(d) - Light
One of a Kin(d) – Light is the Square version that is compatible with the Wrapped in Jamie CAL squares. It is an alternative to Square 11 – Next of Kin, matching not only the stitch count, but also the style with the inner square’s main theme theme and the small square frame created through 3rd-loo- sc-rounds.
Designer's Thoughts
The story behind the design is that of three men. The main character is related to one (his uncle) by blood and to the other (his godfather) through honour, love, loyalty and dedication.
The challenge for this square was to symbolise ‘relationship’ and I thought that this could be expressed on an atomic level through the dna sequence, molecules, mitochondria or cells and on an energetic level through energetic vibrations in form of wave lengths.
By simplifying mainly the dna double helix, a straightforward, uncomplicated, simple pattern emerged for Square 11 – Next of Kin for the Wrapped in Jamie CAL.
In order to make the pattern a bit more sophisticated, I again utilised the idea of “blood”, more precise the concept of mitochondria.
Photo credit: Louisa Howard.
Louisa Howard grants anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law.
I liked the idea of a cell with a nucleus/center/heart and the connectedness of DN strands and tried to translate that into the pattern.
The video to the One of a Kin(d) – Light version shows different options for the small inner square frame:
Simple Front Posts
symbolising a strong and equal connectedness
Scottish Cross 'Legs'
in reminiscence of the Scottish heritage of the three men in question
Double Helix crossings
emphasizing the twisting of the DNA – my personal favourite, with the middle section either crossing behind (top photo) or in front (bottom photo)
One of a Kin(d) - Light
is now available for purchase in the shop.
If you have purchased Square 11 – Next of Kin, you should have received an email with a special discount code as a thank you for supporting an independent designer. Purchase includes access to the right- and left-handed video tutorials and pattern chart.
