Kogin Embroidery Primer

20260402 - Thursday

Introduction: What is kogin embroidery?

Kogin is a sub-set of sashiko embroidery where thread is worked in horizontal lines to create any number of images into an already woven cloth. Traditionally, it is produced using a white thread on navy blue cloth, and the images woven into the cloth are contained within a diamond shape (modoko). Its origins are in the Aomori region of Japan, which is the northernmost prefecture on Honshu. For this post, I want to share resources that have helped me get into the craft.

I'm only a year into practicing kogin, and I only found out about it from a relative of mine. There's very few resources out there regarding the craft on the English-speaking internet, so my own understanding of it might be incomplete. Although this post isn't perfect, I think it's a shame that kogin doesn't get much attention and I want to do what I can to help others understand and potentially participate. If you're into cross stitch, sashiko, or have ever darned a sock, you will probably like kogin. The sites & such that are listed below have better and more detailed information about the craft's history and techniques.

⊳こぎん - kogin: Kogin. Doesn't translate to anything in English.
⊳刺し - さし - sashi: Thorn, pierce, stab. Referring to embroidery/the act of embroidering.
⊳モドコ - modoko: Modoko. The diamond-shaped motifs that are the building blocks of kogin. ⊳This blog post seems to have some info on the origin of the term, but I'm not completely sure.
⊳針 - ひり - hiri: Needle. So, when you're looking for supplies, you can type 「こぎん針」to find kogin needles, or 「刺し子針」for sashiko needles.
糸 - いと - ito: Thread. Same as with needles, so 「こぎん糸」means kogin thread.

Resources & Supplies

To start out, there's some basic supplies that you might already have similar versions of. I bought the supplies that I have now from Yuzawaya (because there aren't a lot of stockists of kogin-specific items outside of Japan), but before making any big purchases I just used some aida and regular 6-ply embroidery thread to do test swatches.

⊳ Woven fabric - Any fabric, but especially looser weaves are easiest to work with.
⊳ Kogin needle - Longer than a regular tapestry needle, which means you're able to weave a bit quicker.
⊳ Kogin thread - Unlike embroidery floss, kogin thread is used as a whole instead of divided, and is quite thick in comparison.: ⊳ This blog post from Stitches on the Run explains the differences between embroidery floss, sashiko, and kogin threads very simply.

⊳ Kogin Bank - Has an in-depth history page, tutorials, and a large database of patterns. This is the main site that I refer to when starting a new project.: ⊳ Please note that the Japanese version of the site is up-to-date with more modoko patterns, while the English version is 2 years behind.
⊳ Kogin Lab - Different setups/variations of the traditional style.

Artists I Like

Lastly, I want to highlight some creators I like and follow on instagram. Most/all are Japanese accounts that I have no affiliation with, so if there's anyone weird then I apologize in advance.

⊳ aomori.sashiko_04
⊳ sawori.kato
⊳ maiko.ishita
⊳ Satonobou: I only just realized that this person has their own website with their own blog- neat!
⊳ mederu_kogin
⊳ itoyui_yuu

Outroduction: Updates

I'll be revisiting this post every now and again to add new information and artists!