Our story, in loops & rows

A life knit together on the Mendocino Coast

We’re Cutler and DeeLynn, a pair of longtime Mendocino locals who’ve been knitting together since we got hitched in 1980.

DeeLynn’s a California native, born in Potter Valley and raised in Ukiah and Redwood Valley, before moving “over the hill” to Fort Bragg on the coast. Cutler was born in the Philippines, spent part of his childhood in Italy and Japan, and eventually landed in Fort Bragg, too.

We raised our three kids here. In 2025, we’ll celebrate 45 years of marriage.

The name “Tomki” comes from the Pomo name for Little Lake Valley, which is just down the road from where DeeLynn grew up. We’ve carried the name with us since the ’90s, when DeeLynn couldn’t find 100% cotton quilt batting at local fabric shops.

She called the manufacturer and was told they could ship it to her directly if she had a business. So Tomki Trading Co was formed and DeeLynn supplied batting to friends and family. When stores started carrying it again, the business quietly folded.

Back then, we also made baby clothes for our first child using an old Japanese knitting machine Cutler’s family had brought from Japan in the ’60s. Cutler handled the knitting. DeeLynn did the pattern work and finishing. We worked side-by-side until the machine finally wore out.

Cutler had planned to become a teacher, but that work was hard to come by on the North Coast. Instead, he started a construction company and worked as a general contractor until retiring in 2009. DeeLynn had a long career in public service and joined him in retirement a few years later.

Now in this next chapter, we’ve decided to bring Tomki Trading back to life—this time with a fresh twist. We make heirloom-quality knit blankets using natural fibers and give new life to fabric through upcycled creations.

We found a secondhand Japanese knitting machine—newer, but still fully manual. No power, no computer—just hands and rhythm. Like old times, Cutler does the knitting, and DeeLynn handles the planning and finishing.

Cutler is the COO, our Chief Operations Officer, and DeeLynn is the CEE—Chief of Everything Else.

Thanks for being here,
Cutler & DeeLynn