Accomplished beginner to intermediate design. From long time TT people Nicole B. and Sue H. Not suggested for first projects; advanced beginners to intermediates should be ok with it. Originally posted in 2011; compiled by Ginny T.
	Materials: 25cm circumference mari, wrapped in green Pearl Cotton #5 in several shades of brown and green   Metallic thread in copper or gold Prepare a Simple 8 Division

Place marking pins 1/2 the distance from pole to equator on six of the eight lines marking the simple division. One line will NOT have a pair of pins on it.  On the middle line that has a pair of pins (one on either side of the pole), stitch a Tsumu Kagari/spindle using those pins as the spindle start pins. Work the spindle until the ends meet the equator.

There are  2 lines with marking pins, one on either side of the spindle you just finished (see photo above). Using these 2 lines, stitch a pair of Kousa-style spindles. Kousa means "interwoven", by layers. Stitch one round of one spindle, then one round of the other spindle, and repeat this layering sequence until the tsumu points are about 1cm or a little less above the equator. You may choose to adjust or alter your colors a little bit on this set of spindles (these two should be the match in coloring but they don't need to be the same as the first spindle from the previous step).

The outline of the turtle shell is an open hexagon around the pole of the ball. Remember that open means that the center area of the shape is like a window - you see what has happened on the previous layers on the temari in that area. The marking lines that were used as the guidelines to stitch the spindles will again be used - these are the marking lines that run in the center of each spindle, and either should still be visible or you can gently separate the two halves of the spindle threads to access them. As you stitch the hexagon, remember that you can choose and mix your colors as you go - there is no rule to follow. Hold the temari so that the unstitched marking line is at 12 o'clock (remember, there are 8 marking lines and only 6 so far have been stitched on). Locate the marking line in the center of the spindle that is to the left of the unstitched line. Enter a stitching thread to the left of this line (you can choose any colors/combo of colors to work the rounds of the hexagon), coming up adjacent to the last round of the first spindle (see photo top left above).  Carry the thread horizontally to the right, to the opposite spindle of the Kousa pair. Take a stitch around the center marking line, again adjacent to the last round of the first spindle. Move to the center marking line of the FIRST spindle (just follow in clockwise order around if the pole of the temari is facing you), and take a stitch so that the stitching thread lays parallel to the edge of the square formed in the Kousa center. Move to the next Kousa spindle and take a stitch on the center line, adjacent to the last round of the first spindle. Move to the next Kousa spindle, repeat. Move to the opposite end of the FIRST spindle and take a stitch as described above. Move to the starting point, take a stitch. Continue around the hexagon that has been formed. Work about 14 or 15 rows (not a mandate, or close to the end being able to access the center stitching line as you work towards the ends of the spindles.
	Choose one end of the first spindle (not the set of Kousa spindles), and add French Knot eyes. You can add a little detail for his/her mouth if you want to, and perhaps a little detail on the ends of the Kousa spindles that are his/her feet. Repeat the stitching on the opposite pole of the ball, and then embellish or finish as you'd like to.  To finish, you can add a wrapped obi, or use some free embroidery to create a pond for the turtle.

Last updated 1/2014 © 1998 - 2014 TemariKai.com, G. Thompson/PuffinStuff, Inc.