I once read somewhere that many things involved in Japanese life and culture have an aesthetic component. I also truly believe this. It is important to remember and not simply take the beauty around us for granted; particularly the things that Nature itself provides us with in our environment, to be found and admired.
Even for man-made things, it’s almost a requirement that it be aesthetically pleasing as well as functional. You can find the concept of aesthetics even in the simplest elements of everyday life; items as simple as a thimble.
A thimble, in Japanese it is called yubinuki. And, like most thimbles, it’s used to protect your fingers when sewing, whether it’s something as thin as silk or as thick as denim.
Although they serve the same purpose of protection, in Japan, thimbles are used differently from common thimbles in the West. Instead of being worn on the fingertip, Japanese thimbles are simple rings worn on the middle finger, between the first and second knuckles.
You see, the way we sew in Japan is different from how we sew here in the West. We use a running stitch. It is called a running stitch because the needle stays in the fabric until it reaches the end of the seam line. The needle is pushed continuously, using the thimble on your middle finger.
Guided into position with fingers and fingertips, the needle is pushed through the layers with the yubinuki taking the “most” of the force. This helps prevent injuries and irritations to hands and fingers caused by the eye of the needle. Having the thimble to help push also provides additional force to move it; which is much easier than continually trying to grab the tip of the needle to pull it out.
Although the main purpose of using a thimble is practical, it is also a fashion statement for those who love hand sewing. I always use a leather thimble as Sashiko consists of simple stitches. These leather thimbles are stretchy and also come in different colors.
