Hobonichi Haul, Holy Flock

(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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Hobonichi Techo 2025 Cover A5 Tragen Review

(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!)

I like Hobonichi covers almost as much as the notebooks themselves. Their standard covers are great, but this one offers some extra features I've found handy.

The A5 Tragen cover in Oakmoss is made from a lovely sage green nylon fabric with brown leather accents. The nylon is lightly textured and has a crisp feel to it, though it isn't stiff. The design looks both modern and vintage and I don't know enough about design to understand quite how it does that. Timeless, I guess they call it. In any case, it's lovely.

The cover takes A5 notebook inserts, and the notebook slides into pocket sleeves inside the main part of the cover. On the left inside cover, there is a vertical row of shallow pockets for small items. These would work great for sticky notes, book darts, washi cards, or bookmarks. I wouldn't recommend them for wallet cards, though, as the pockets are fairly loose and the case doesn't close at the top. If lifted upside down, items could easily slide out. On the inside right cover, there is a leather folder pocket that can hold scrap papers or other important notes. There is also a leather loop that can fit a pen clip in it. It's too narrow for a pen or pencil, but most clipped pens would work in this space.

The cover closes with a flap that folds over the front from the right side and it secures with a magnet to the front. There's no bulky snap or closure. The magnet has good hold, and is encased in a leather circle, so it closes quietly. The front flap is also a zipper pouch. The zipper is metal and has a leather pull tab. It's a very spacious pouch, though overstuffing it makes the magnet closure less effective. The sweet spot seems to be up to six pens, though it could hold dozens if you really want it to. And sometimes I do.

On the back of the case, on the outside, is an envelope pocket that can hold papers or even another slim notebook.

I have found that the case doesn't work well inside an overpacked bag, where friction of the other items inside cause the magnet to slide open and the cover flap smooshes off of the front. It definitely prefers to travel in an upright position inside a properly packed bag.

I don't have my planner in this case at the moment. I've been using it as an all-in-one writing kit, with my draft notebook in the case, some accessories in the small pockets, my planning notebook in the back pocket, and my writing and editing pens in the zipper pouch. It's perfect for brining to my evening writing groups, and I'll be taking this kit on its first writing retreat to the lake this weekend.

I am really enjoying this cover, and it's been used every day since it arrived several months ago. I do have some notebook covers that are better at notebook protection or accessory storage, but I like that this cover is so lightweight. It doesn't add any weight to my bag. It's also the prettiest A5 cover I own, in my opinion. I've worried a bit that I'd mess up the cover, as my writing group usually meets in cafes, diners, and bars, and we're writing on damp tables while eating cheese curds. But it looks as good as the day it arrived, so it handles rough travel well.

One major downfall of this case, though, is the price. It sells on JetPens for $81, which is quite high for a nylon case. Sure, there's leather bits, but they are tiny. I do tend to get sticker shock at Hobonichi products, but I rarely regret splurging on them. This case is undoubtedly well made. The stitching is tiny and precise, the lines are all straight and clean, and there isn't a loose thread in sight. Hobonichi products are also individually handmade. So while the price is high, I wouldn't say it's unfair. I have some Hobonichi covers that are over ten years old now, and they are still holding strong, so I trust in the quality and craftsmanship here. If you're looking for a good writing or planning kit, this is an excellent choice.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Planner Time!

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)

I had a delightful revelation last week. While I knew my new Hobonichi Cousin planner started in December of 2024 (at least on the monthly pages), I hadn't looked closely enough. Because December starts at the end of the week, there are actually a few days of November in there! Which means I can actually start using my new planner on Monday! I was thrilled. It's the little things.

As I gleefully prepared for the annual planner switch, a second feeling set in. Just a very small sad one. And I realized I was also a little blue to let go of the planner that's been my constant companion of 2024.

Maybe that's weird, but I'll own it.

Another thing that's weird is that I did not switch planners mid-year this year. I'm fairly notorious for giving up on a planner and swapping to a different style. But usually my year starts with me resisting the hypnotic pull of a Hobonichi, buying something else, and then buying a Hobonichi in April when the academic year versions come out. In 2024 I just started with the Hobonichi and saved myself the trouble. This wee planner has been with me through what one refers to as a Very Bad Year. We're buds, now.

I was tempted to switch early in the year, anyway, but only because I'd bought a Hobonichi Weeks (which is my favorite layout for planners), and then got a new extremely busy job, and found the Weeks to be a little small for all the plans I had to plan.

For 2025, I got the Cousin, hoping that the extra space will serve me well--though I still prefer the weekly spreads. If there was an A5 Hobonichi with the Weeks layout, I'd be in heaven. "But Sarah," you say, "There are other planners that are A5 with a weekly layout!" I KNOW. I buy them every autumn, start them in January, and then buy a Hobonichi in April. It has happened more than once.

The daily pages in the Cousin are going to be perfect for meeting notes, looooong to-do lists, and brainstorms, which is going to help me at work a lot. I've been doing all that in a second notebook, carrying both that and my planner with me around like Linus with his security blanket--so combining those into one tool will be lovely. I will lose the "Oh crap--that's tomorrow!" reminder feature of the weekly pages, so I'll have to keep the habit of scanning the monthly calendar every day, or flipping through the daily pages, or both. I cannot live one day at a time, as much as I would love to.

Today I transferred my ongoing task list to the new planner, moved my goofy bookmarks and made sure there weren't any notes I needed to move forward, then I tucked away my 2024 Weeks on my shelf-o-planners. Most of the planners on that shelf are half-empty. But 2024 has been a very full year, and while not every memory in that book is a happy one, I'm happy to have them all there.

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!