Today I’m showing five really lovely balls of fiber–three of hemp and two of what appear to be cotton that has been dipped in kaki shibu, or the tannin extracted from bitter, green persimmons.

I always love to find threads in this state, and this group of five looks really lovely: the balls range in size from 4″/ 10 cm in diameter to 2″/ 5 cm in diameter.The texture of the hemp filaments is taut and wiry.  The cotton appears very similar to the hemp–probably due to the kaki shibu dye– however its texture is a bit softer and more pliable.

This stunning sleeveless, sashiko stitched work coat, or sodenashi, is from Yamagata Prefecture in the Tohoku Region of Japan.

The indigo dyed cotton vest is thick with layers which have been sashiko stitched together.  Likewise, the distinctive, diagonal applied band of stitching is added as protection for the wearer who is pulling a sledge, the strap of which is, of course, abrasive. This particular kind of sodenashi was used by men who pulled sledges in wintertime, to spread manure over their fields.  Wives would stitch intricate patterns to reinforce the jacket, as can be seen in photos above and below.Similar examples of this type of vest are shown on page 60 of the Kyoto Shoin book, Kogin and Sashiko Stitch, available from my web shop.

The entire body of the vest is pierced with minuscule stitches, adding a wonderful texture and visual interest to the garment.  The layers of cloth which are over-stitched onto the body of the vest are there for added durability.Shown below are a group of beautifully sashiko stitched drawstring bags which I will probably offer for sale in my web shop at some point in the near future.