Back in May, I was texting with a friend and we were discussing my idea of doing a water theme over the summer. She shared that her youngest son would probably suggest the inclusion of a squid, which I thought was a great idea. She then shared that he had recently asked her, "Why aren't baby squid called inklings?"
What a terrific question! While I already had the water theme in mind, I have to admit his question inspired me to think more about what this theme would entail. I knew I wanted to include a fish, maybe a mermaid, but I hadn't really gotten beyond that. Thinking about inklings, made me dive into the theme (see what I did there?), and I ended up focusing on my own relationship to water through places I visited or lived and sea creatures/facts/songs I enjoy.
I knew very little about squid, so I had to do a little research for today's piece. Most cephalopods, including squid and some forms of octopus, release ink into the water. Most squid do this as an escape mechanism, but it can also be used for hiding and deterring predators from squid eggs. Obviously, calling a baby squid an inkling makes lots of sense. Unfortunately, baby squid don't really have a special name; they're mostly called baby squid. Squid are hatched from eggs, so scientists often refer to baby squid as paralarva, but that's not nearly as much fun as inklings. Basically, not naming baby squid "inklings" is a huge missed opportunity in the world of naming sea creatures.
Thank you to Owen for inspiring today's piece, "Mamma Squid and Her Inklings," and for helping me add more detail and fun to this month's theme! I fully support a name change for baby squid to inkling.
Details:
Stitches: back stitch, whipped back stitch
Thread palette: DMC 823, 970 (3 strands)
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