Kogin is a derivation of sashiko embroidery which was developed in the Edo period as a way to reinforce cloth with layers of tight stitching to make it warmer.
Kogin cloth is a thick open weave made to take the needles punching in and out of the holes. Similar to a cross stitch the grid formation of the holes in the cloth dictates the stitching. The geometric patterns are created by stitching vertically, following a pattern to cover uneven numbers of holes - one, three, five and sometimes seven - in order to show the thread.
The long kogin needles and the thick thread work together with the kogin cloth.
