(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Bluesky. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)
Hello pen fam! I'm not really back yet, and this isn't a real review. It's just show-and-tell. But I am in my new house, and I did get my parents moved across the country, but their first apartment didn't meet their needs, so now I'm moving them again, and because I was moving them, my house still isn't unpacked, and... Well. Basically, I'm still in the thick of things, and my stationery is still in boxes, and has been since April. That's now half the year, if you're counting, and I am definitely counting. That stationery deprivation is the excuse I'll be citing to justify losing my absolute mind on the Hobonichi update last week. Here's my haul.
I always find something I love in the annual Hobonichi lineup, but this year I felt personally targeted by the selections offered. I'm not mad about it. For those of you who participated in the feeding frenzy that was release day, I salute you. I was there, too, watching the swirly circle of doom on the checkout page while my items disappeared from my cart. But between my computer, my phone, and my husband's phone, and two hours of persistence, I managed to get my whole list.
I had several Hobonichi store tabs open, as well as all my favorite US vendors. While Hobonichi was spinning, I tried other sources. JetPens sold out like lightning, but Dromgoole's came in clutch, and there I was able to score my first priority item, the Hon Weeks Mega in the sheep pattern. Sheep! Woolly friends! I am so delighted with this design. This will be my main planner for work and life. The weekly layout lets me see what's coming and plan accordingly, while my running to-do list fills the right page. And they had the drawer pouch in stock, so that came to live with me, too. Obviously, that's destined for the knitting bag. While I was snagging those, my husband managed to score the V&A Strawberry Thief A6 Techo. I adore William Morris designs. I love this one in particular. And the colors! This A6 will be my writing notebook for hitting a daily writing goal for fiction. I'll use it to track my deadlines.
Then I focused back on my Hobonichi tabs and managed to get the A5 One Piece cover with Sabo on it for my youngest, who is obsessed. He has recently started writing a book (he's 60 pages into it and dedicated!). He's going to be my stationery buddy, I can tell. While writing, he's realized he has preferences for his writing tools. His current favorite is a Pilot V5, so he has good taste. Naturally.
The shearling knitting bag also fell into my cart, because of course it did. More sheep! It's already hauling my current project. It's a great design, made in a nice thick canvas. I'm a little worried about the fluff on the bottom getting dirty, but the size and ergonomics of the bag are perfect. It will be attending the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Market with me this weekend.
That's my Hobonichi 2027 haul. It was indulgent, and it's the first stationery mail to arrive at my new house. I like that my first stationery mail was planners--future-focused and goal-oriented. We're at a new beginning here, and I'm looking forward to documenting the journey in my favorite planners. Covered in sheep!
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