Indigo-Dyed Azuma Bag + Thread Kit - PREORDER

New for the 2026 holiday season!

BUAISOU has custom dyed a large, gorgeous azuma bag exclusively for us and you! It is available in three shades: light, medium, and dark indigo.

These bags are generously sized to hold a large knitting project and keep it safely contained. Easily carry a sweater-in-progress and protect the yarn from snagging in your bag. Or pack it with a lunch, a book, and a light jacket, and tie the points together to create a handle and tuck it over your arm for an outing. This is a versatile bag with many possibilities! 

BUAISOU first sewed this bag in their studio, and then dyed it. In order to create these stunning shades of sapphire blue, the bag is dipped into the indigo vat and exposed to air multiple times. More times means a darker shade. Swoon! Hard to believe that this exquisite color is coaxed from plants! 

We are offering these bags along with a set of hank of indigo-dyed sashiko thread from BUAISOU, so that you can personalize this stunning canvas with your own sashiko embroidery. Use these threads to stitch anything from simple lines of running stitch to more complex sashiko patterns, such as those shown in Sashiko for Making and Mending.

No matter what goes in it, this is a must-have bag for the indigo-lover in your life. And in doing so, you are supporting an incredible group of artisans keeping the tradition of indigo farming and dyeing alive. A beautiful collaboration!

Options:
+ Bag only - light, medium, or dark
+ Bag with thread - includes 5 hanks of sashiko thread in a gradient of indigo hues: pale, light, murakumo, indigo, and dark

Comes neatly packaged in a BUAISOU box.

100% linen.

Approximate Bag Dimensions: 22" square (laid flat and measured to points)

Please note: bags come without any embroidery. Purchase the bag with thread included to stitch your own!

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In a rural corner of Japan, there are a group of people who work together under the name BUAISOU who are completely dedicated to indigo. BUAISOU is comprised of a farm, dye studio, and design-studio. They are located in Tokushima prefecture, the historical center of indigo farming and processing in Japan. Every year they grow and harvest their own indigo, dry the leaves, and compost them. They combine this compost with wood ash lye, wheat bran, and water and use fermentation to create indigo vats. Within these vats, they dye every shade of blue, on items such as this fabric and sashiko thread. You can read more about BUAISOU and learn how to make this kind of indigo vat in our book, Journeys in Natural Dyeing.

When working with fabric, thread, and fiber dyed with indigo, it is common and natural for the blue dye to rub off on one’s hands while sewing. This is called crocking. Although the goods have been washed, it takes pressured contact to release the extra indigo dye. Your handwork is part of the indigo dyeing process. The blue dye can be removed with hot water and soap. From working closely with indigo dyed materials through the making process, typically, the excess dye has been removed, and the crocking will cease.

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Please note the fiber content of the material you are working with, and follow the applicable instructions: 

Cotton or linen - Machine washable on cool cycle with pH neutral soap. Lay flat to dry.

Superwash Wool - Machine washable on cool cycle with pH neutral soap, though hand wash recommended. Lay flat to dry.

Wool and Wool blends - Handwash only in lukewarm water with pH neutral soap. Lay flat to dry.

This item is a final sale. Once purchased, there are no cancellations, exchanges, store credits, or returns. 

If you would like to add-to-order, please click here to review the instructions. We cannot refund shipping charges.

If you would like to apply a discount code, please click here to review the instructions. We cannot refund discounts.

Please click here for our shipping rates and policies.

Curbside Pick-Up
To pick up your order at our shop, when checking out, under shipping method, choose Pick up at our Oakland store - 6328 San Pablo Ave.

You will receive an email when your order is ready. Orders placed Tuesday-Saturday are typically ready within 24 hours. To pick up your order, come to the shop between 11am - 3pm, Tuesday-Saturday. Knock on the front door and give us your name. 

Pre-orders
Pre-orders will ship on the date listed on the product’s webpage. If you ordered additional items, all items will be shipped with your pre-order. If you would like those items shipped separately, please place two separate orders.