A carabiner is a small object, but it performs a surprisingly wide range of roles. It can connect things together—or be hooked onto something itself. It links ropes, attaches gear, and can even be connected to other carabiners. It’s lightweight yet strong, simple in structure, and comes in many shapes. In emergencies, it can even help save lives. It’s remarkable how much potential this tiny tool, barely the size of a finger joint, can carry.

Its design is extremely simple—just a body and a gate—yet the ability to open and close the gate creates an internal space that allows it to interact with all kinds of objects. Interestingly, the nature of this space changes depending on how far the gate is pushed. If you press the gate only slightly, the closed space starts to open, placing the carabiner in a kind of in-between state. But when the gate is fully pressed, the space closes again in one sense—while simultaneously opening up in another.

I designed a pattern based on the unique characteristics of the carabiner.