Take a stitch one line to the right - it will be at the mark pin below a line that has a polar stitch on it from the previous round.

Repeat the alternating long zigzag from pole to pin as on the previous round as you work around the ball. Remove the mark pins as you go.

Finish off back at the point where you began this round. The white pin is a marking pin for the white round for demonstration purposes.

Enter a green thread to begin the second round. This is where people seem to have the most problem - getting the polar stitches placed properly. As I was stitching this ball keeping in mind that I was going to try to prepare this page I contemplated as how to best describe this as it is the most common question/complaint. Try to place each ensuing polar stitch one thread width outward and downward (ultimately that make a diagonal) from the previous stitch place. As you work the pole stitches, your stitches will gradually become wider since you are working around all of the previous ones, but they should be just below in a rather tight (that is, no extra space allowed) formation of the round before it. Place enough tension to keep it smooth, but not strangling the previous rows.

Take the thread down and take a stitch just below the previous stitch that was made at the mark pin on that line. The green pin along with the white is just indicating the green and white line rounds for demonstration. The stitch should be about 1/16th on an inch below the prior one in order to get smooth points on the petals. If you lay the thread in the direction it should go, it will guide you where to place the stitch.

Go back up and take a polar stitch, below the previous one, from right to left, just below and outside of the last one as described above.

Click to continue to page 3 or go back to page 1