Say mkono and you mean one hand. Say mikono and you mean hands, more than one. The second word is our name. This post is a short language note, then a look at what hands do when they make an animal.
One word, two numbers
Swahili groups nouns into classes. Each class has its own way of making a plural. Nouns like mkono, which begin with m, take mi for the plural. So mkono becomes mikono. The same change turns mti, a tree, into miti, trees.
Mkono can also mean arm. English uses two words for hand and arm. Swahili uses one for both.
We are not language teachers. If you speak Swahili and see a better way to put this, please tell us.
Why a business takes the plural
One hand makes one thing at a time. Mikono Creations supports 25+ women, so the plural is the honest choice. Many hands work in Nairobi to crochet animals. They go to shops, lodges, organisations and homes.
A good photo of an animal tells you its colour and its size. It cannot tell you how a loop was pulled or how a face was placed. Those things happen in the hands. That is why we like the word, and why we show the makers at work on the makers page.
What hands do when they make an animal
Our photos show some of the jobs. Fingers hold the hook and guide the yarn. A thumb and finger pinch two pieces together for sewing.
Scissors trim a lion's mane to an even length. Another hand tucks a loose end out of sight. Think about the order of the work. First the hook and yarn. Then the parts. Then the join. Last, the face. Hands are busy at every step. Crochet is slow work in a way that is easy to forget. Each stitch is a small movement, and an animal is made of very many of them.
- Hands make the stitch.
- Hands join the parts.
- Hands add the face.
- Hands trim and check.
None of these jobs can be rushed. A machine can copy a shape. A person looks at the shape as she goes, and she can change her mind.
A few other words you may see here
We use Swahili sparingly and only where we are sure. Karibu means welcome. Asante means thank you, and asante sana means thank you very much. We would rather use three words correctly than twenty carelessly.
Try this. Next time you wave to someone, look at your own hand for a moment. It is the tool behind every animal in the shop.
Karibu to the journal, and asante for reading.
