Thread Gauges Temari on TemariKai.com

Thread Gauges
Thread gauge refers to how many stitches, rows or whatever are needed to cover a certain area. Those familiar with knitting or crochet metallic comparison

know that yarn gauges are required to know how to calculate project sizing and the amount of materials needed. Similar circumstances occur in temari making when you are working or designing a pattern and need to know how many rounds stitching are needed to cover a particular distance. It is especially important if one is trying to work a design in a different thread than the original instructions call for, or use a different size mari than called for - or both. An individual's stitching tension will vary things a bit, but overall gauges can be very useful to estimate if the conversion will work, and if so, how much to adjust.

        Thread gauge also comes into play when your are trying to choose threads to use in a project - most often they need to be close in size in order for things to balance out both technically and aesthetically. For example, the photo to the right shows various metallic threads compared to pearl cotton #5. Most times, other than for marking lines, you would want a metallic thread close in size and gauge to the main stitching thread. It helps greatly, as you develop a thread stash, to keep small samples of the various threads (some people include snippets in their temari notebooks) so that you know what a thread is like if you wish to purchase it again.

Some of the more common threads that are used in temari making are listed below along with their gauge - that is, how many strands or rows per cm or mm. Rather than giving the width of one strand, the gauges are given per cm or mm as this is the most easy to use and apply.

    DMC Perle 5 - 7 threads = 0.5cm
    DMC Perle 8 - 2 strands = 1 mm
    DMC Floss - 3 strands = 1mm
    Caron Watercolour (single strand) 1 strand = 1 mm
    Rainbow Gallery Nordic Gold - 1 strand = 1mm

        For example, if you are working a design that calls for #5 pearl cotton, and you wish to change to laid floss. The are of the design calls for 10 rows of pearl being worked. Using the gauge above, 10 rows (or threads) would be about .75cm. Remembering that 1cm=10mm, .75cm=7.5mm. Therefore, you would need about 25 strands of floss to cover the same area.

        If you keep similar information for threads you routinely use in your notebook, you'll have the references handy that you need to convert; remember that they are estimates and you'll have to adjust things as you work, but it gives you a good starting point.