Koinobori Inspiration

When I was a young kid, my father gave me a set of 3 Koinobori that he brought back from Japan a long time ago. Koinobori (鯉のぼり), meaning « carp streamer » in Japanese, are carp-stremed windsocks traditionally flown in Japan to celebrate Children’s Day (Kodomo no Hi, 子供の日), the 5th of May.
35 years laters, my koinobori (which must be around 60 years old now!) are still with me, they have always been part of my life wherever I lived, proudly displayed in my home at all time. That’s why I decided to make my own patterns and my own fish, or even, why not, use patterns on other animals.