Crochet & Sweets: A Taste of Hokkaido, Vol.4 "Kibi Dango"

When I go back to my hometown, I often find things in the supermarket that I never knew were sold anywhere else. This is one of them.

Even when I'm in Tokyo, I sometimes wonder why I never see kibi dango, but for those of you who live outside of Hokkaido, do you know about them?

This snack is likely familiar to Hokkaido natives and is sold in supermarkets, making it a very accessible and delicious snack.

In particular, the long, thin types are nostalgic, like cheap snacks, but the small types are very convenient as you can eat just a little at a time!

I had never really thought about where it was made until I left Hokkaido, but it turns out it's made in Kuriyama Town, not far from Sapporo.
Tanida Confectionery websiteSo I went on a virtual factory tour.

It has a simple taste, so it's a great snack for children, or you might want to eat it yourself from time to time, so it's a dish that tends to catch your eye in the supermarket.

Last weekend, I had a snack while crocheting a tissue case.

With my hands, if I use yarn that fits a size 4 crochet hook, I can make something that is roughly the same size as commercially available pocket tissues.
The idea is to use medium-thin thread.

For knitting enthusiasts, using leftover yarn is what we would now call a sustainable issue, so when I create recipes, I try to make them as easy to knit as possible using yarn of common thicknesses.

However, in reality, the problem of leftover thread is quite difficult...
Even if you have a mountain of leftover yarn, when you suddenly think, "I want to knit something like this!", it's rare that the yarn you use perfectly matches the following four points.
・The thickness you want to use
・Materials you want to use
・The color you want to use
・Amount you want to use

Because of these circumstances, I sometimes try to create a piece within the constraints of leftover thread.

If there is one ball of something left, it would tend to become part of the theme to want to use up every last ball, but I don't go that far, and instead I try to knit so that at least one ball is enough.

Today's tissue case was a perfect match for the Hamanaka Piccolo yarn I had at home, and it felt like I had rediscovered a new use for this yarn.

When knitted with size 4, the knitted fabric has a nice, plump feel.
There are a wide variety of colors available, so you're sure to have fun matching them!

This tissue case recipe is from the old online shop, but we plan to re-knit it and renew it.
I'll let you know when the recipe is republished.