We Are Tomodachi Summer 2017

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33Kestler often thinks of how knitting might not only fulfill creative desires, but also contribute to society. His “Knit for Japan” project exemplifies this quest. After the March 2011 Great East Japan earthquake, Kestler and his friends donated hand-knitted gloves, scarves and hats to people in Tohoku who lost their homes. “After a year, I knew they needed something else. I started thinking about what we could do that would also involve the local people. By knitting squares together, I thought they could interact with each other, and this would cheer them up.” Kestler asked people in Japan and friends from around the world to crochet 20cm×20cm “granny squares.” “Many supporters, my friends and a Japanese yarn company offered to help,” says Kestler. “The response was overwhelming.” With his volunteers, Kestler connected 11,250 granny squares together into a 476.78 square meter blanket, a feat that earned him the Guinness World Record and an award from the Japanese Ministry of Economy and Trade. “The awards were a great honor to receive and added a heartfelt touch for everybody involved with the project,” he says. “Each of us sat down for an hour thinking about the people in Tohoku, as we made a square. We were knitting the world together. That was very special.” Kestler later divided the giant blanket into smaller blankets as presents for people living at shelters in the areas hit by the earthquake.Does having knitting on his mind night and day tire Kestler? “Never. It’s in my DNA. Knitting is magic; you create something beautiful with your hands. Japan gave me the chance to do what I really enjoy. I would like to explore Japanese culture and traditional crafts and incorporate traditional dyeing methods such as ai-zome (indigo dyeing) and kusaki-zome (botanical dyeing) in my knitting. By bringing beautiful colors into people’s lives and showing them how exciting knitting can be, I want to change the perception of knitting. Colors bring happiness, and Japanese history is full of amazing colors. I hope people can enjoy these colors through my works.”As a part of his “Knit for Japan” project, Kestler finished a huge blanket with people in Tohoku and earned the Guinness World Record for the largest crochet blanket.Bernd KestlerBorn in the county of Hessen, Germany. Studied horticulture in university and worked as a landscape designer in England. Moved to Japan in 1998. Lives in Yokohama and works on his knitting pieces while enjoying gardening.