Ai-oi-musubi (Conjugate Knot) While many mizuhiki comprise one's thought to another person, but the "ai-oi-musubi" comprise the thoughts both ways. "ai-oi" originally comes from the meaning growing up together. "Ai-oi no matsu" (the coexistence of pine trees), is famous for two pine trees born from the same root and growing up together while leaning on each other. Regular pine trees originally represent longevity, but coexisting pine trees have been especially cared because they symbolize an inseparable relation of a couple as well as conjugal love and harmony. Just like the coexisting pine trees, "ai-oi-musubi" also represents a sincere thoughtfulness between a couple and a deep consideration between close friends, thus used at times when two people are wishing together. The repeating crossings gradually forming a bond assimilate the depth of love. There is also a double crossed "niju-ai-oi" knot but the picture on the page is a single crossed knot. Don’t you see the two overlapped hearts in the knots? We could also call this knot “loving each other knot”.
