Mystery Temari  October 2006 / (Intemediate) Courtesy of Glenna K  California USA

Materials:  Make a 3” or larger mari.  You will need 6 needles! Pick out 4 colors that you like together; the thread  recommended is  #5 Perle Cotton or similar size thread. Wrap the outer thread layer of the mari in one of your 4 colors.

Measure and divide your mari for 6 Simple Divisions with Obi.  Stitch your mark lines with a metallic to match your wrap thread.  Pin mark obi. Label the points on the obi counter clockwise [A, B, C, D, E, F].

With Color 1 stitch a Spindle pattern from obi pin A across the North Pole to obi pin D and back.  All rounds are stitched with doubled thread.
With Color 2 stitch a Spindle pattern from obi pin A across the South Pole to obi pin D and back.
With Color 3 stitch a North Pole Spindle from B to E.
With Color 1 stitch a South Pole Spindle from B to E.
With Color 2 stitch a North Pole Spindle from C to F.
With Color 3 stitch a South Pole Spindle from C to F.
Stitch 7-8 more rounds on each Spindle pattern in the same sequence. Now stitch a round of your metallic on each Spindle in sequence.


Mystery Temari  February 2006  / Intermediate to Advanced) Courtesy of  Debi A.   Wisconsin, USA

        Last time around we reversed the usual process of the Mystery Balls and only presented a diagram to work from.... we'll return to the "norm" now of having verbal directions, and let's see what everyone comes up with on this one. Debi A. sends this one in - it's interpreted from a Japanese book, but the actual one won't be revealed until we archive it so there's no cheating! :>)

        Here you go: "You will need 4 design colors (at least 10 yards each) and a metallic (or a fifth high contrast color) for marking.  Wrap a 3.5 or 4 inch mari and mark an S20 with obi.  Pick any division line and place a pin at the point halfway to the obi on both the N and the S.  Skip three lines and repeat.  Continue around the ball.  You will end up with 5 lines that have pins on them, evenly spaced.  Work a five pointed star  on the N and S poles using the pins for placement of the stitches.  Move the pins to the next lines to the right and repeat the five point star with a different color.  Continue until all four colors and all lines are used.  Now, go back to the first color and work another star, slightly larger than the first one, stretching the points as necessary.  Continue to stitch stars in each color in order for as many rounds as you wish.  (I did about 12 rounds on mine)  For the last round stitch each star with metallic.  Embellish the obi as desired."


Mystery Temari  May 2005 / (Advanced Beginner to Intemediate) Courtesy of Sandy E.

This ball is based on a simple 6 divide with an obi. The wrapping color will show. You will need a neutral color and 1 or 3 or 6 colors that go with the neutral and the background. You will also want another color to make bands between your sections. This color can be your neutral or your background color. You will use it last so you can decide later if you choose. Your neutral color can be a metallic. You will use a fair amount of thread so plan accordingly as half of each section of the 6 divide will be stitched with this color. I used maybe up to 15 yards. If you choose 6 other colors then one of each color will go into each section next to the neutral. If you choose 3 colors, then you will stitch two sections with each color, each one on the opposite side of the ball, and if you choose 1 color then all sections will have your neutral and this single color. All will work. I used about a 3.5 inch ball which worked well, but most any size would be all right. I wouldn't start with anything under 2.5 inches though for the first ball of this pattern. Wrap and prep your mari with a simple 6 division and with an obi. The division lines can be scrap thread, but the thread used for your obi should be the neutral color. I ended up taking out the division lines before I did the final bands. You should either leave the pins in at the equator or tack the equator at each marking line. My obi shifted and I had to remeasure it, so make sure it is secure. The only other measurements are to place a pin on each marking line, one half inch down from the pole, doing the same for both poles

Look at your mari with the North pole up. Find the 6 eye shaped wedges that reach from the North pole all the way down to the South pole. The obi line crosses these sections. We will stitch in one of the eye shape wedges at a time. There are two stitching rules. 1) All stitches will be parallel to the division marking lines. 2) Your needle will always point away from the equator. In other words your thread will cross the equator but your needle should point away from it. Use your neutral thread and travel it to the left side of the wedge and bring it up just under the obi very close to the dividing line. Your stitching thread will now be in the bottom half of the wedge. You will bring the thread up over the equator and take a stitch near the division line on the right, above the obi. Remember to point the needle to the pole, and the stitch is parallel to the division markings. Your stitches should be about 1/8 inch in length. (It won't hurt if the stitch is so close to the division line that it is even underneath the division line) Turn the ball over so that the South pole is now up and take another stitch about 1/8 inch away from where the stitching thread was started. This stitch will point to the pole and be parallel to the division line. You will notice that your thread will cross the obi, near the middle of the wedge, and it will also cross the last stitch. Continue taking stitches parallel to the division lines, and closer and closer to the poles, while turning the ball each time. You will end up with a build up of stitching threads at the center of the wedges and this is OK. There will also be space between the threads. They will be further apart at the division lines and be very close together at the center of the wedge. Continue stitching in this manor, to the pins on the division line. Stitch this neutral color in the same manor in all the wedges.

Now for the other colors. We are going to do the same thing as the neutral color, but just in the opposite direction. Pick one of your colors, bring the color up in the bottom section of the mari, but this time on the right side of the wedge shape, just under the obi line. Take a stitch on the left side of the wedge above the obi line. Turn ball over and repeat the stitches all the way up to your pins. Fill in the other wedges with the color of your choice. It is hard to get these stitches even and right near the division line, so we will make bands along the marking lines. If your band color is not the same as your marking color then remove the marking threads but make sure you leave the obi line in place. Replace the division lines with wrapped bands. 4 or 6 rounds of wrapping should make a band wide enough to visually clean up the edges of your stitches. If you need a few more rows that is ok too. Just use the same number of rounds in each band. You can decorate any negative space to your liking and you are done.

Mystery Temari  December 2005 / (Intermediate) Courtesy of Glenna K California USA

Materials:  3” Styrofoam ball, red sewing thread, #5 pearl cotton in Royal, Ruby, and White, Silver metallic cord, Royal metallic cord, Ruby metallic cord

1.    Wrap mari in red thread.  Measure and divide mari into Simple 6 vertical divisions.  With Ruby pearl cotton mark the mari with vertical mark lines,  With a separate Ruby thread mark an obi which will be removed.  Divide the distance from pole to pole into 1/3’s.  Place pins at 1/3 and 2/3 points on all mark lines.

2.    On each mark line beginning at the pins stitch a Royal blue Spindle for 15 rounds.  Finish edge of Spindle with a round of metallic cord, if desired.  I used Silver.

3.    Weave design in spindles:   Begin at the obi and work outward toward the poles following the row patterns listed.  When moving between the spindles, you can work in circles around the mari, stitching into the thread wrap and coming up where needed OR work the design in each spindle separately.  If you choose to work in a circle around the mari, exit the thread wrap a couple of threads deep into the spindle design.  Weave under the spindle threads by leading with the eye end of the needle.   Exit the weave by stitching into the thread wrap and coming up at the next spindle. 

“U” = Under the spindle threads        “o” = Over the spindle threads  Wt = White  Example “U6, WT o5,  means under 6 spindle threads, weave White over 5 spindle threads".


Obi to NP                                                     Obi to SP

U14, Wt o1, U15  (2 rows)                            U11, Wt o7, U12 (3 rows)

U13, Wt o3, U14                                           U10, Wt o9, U11

U8, Wt o2, U3, Wt o3, U3, Wt o2, U9            U9, Wt o4, U3. o4, U10

U9, Wt o11, U10                                           U9, Wt o1, U9, Wt o1, U10

U10, Wt o9, U11

5.    When weaving is complete, work some fireworks at the NP and SP.  I used straight stitches in Red, White and Blue.


Mystery Temari January 2005  (Advanced Beginner/Intermediate)  Courtesy of Ginny T.
 

         One of the most important things that the Mystery Ball does is reinforce and "test" your use of the Temari Glossary....so keep that in mind. Prep a mari, your choice of size though I'd recommend something in the 2 1/2 to 3 inch diameter range. Divide mari into vertical sections, either 8, 10 or 12, your choice, with obi. Place a marking pin halfway between obi and poles on division line. Work one round of kiku on each pole, with the top of the kiku  starting close to the pole and the bottom points being placed at the marking pins.  Work a full round of kiku around on each pole.

Return to the poles and stitch another round of kiku on each, continuing the interweaving process of the points and shapes. Then, stitch another round on each diamond. Continuing alternating rounds on each to interweave the pattern. Work as many total rows as you like to develop the depth of the design. Embellish as desired, and you are finished.

        Prep a mari with regular thread wrap and divide to a simple 8 (you actually could do a 6, 10 or 12 - your choice but it has to be an even number (the sample these verbals are from is done on an 8) -  mark the divisions, pin but don't mark the obi. With the north pole facing you, place marking pins half way plus a smidge (tiny smidge) from pole to obi on alternate lines. With the south pole facing you, repeat using the other alternate lines.  Remove obi pins but NOT the marking pins you have just placed (that now zig zag around the middle of the ball). Both hemispheres will look the same except the half-way pins are on alternate lines and zigzag around the middle of the ball. Pick a pole and call it north. You should have pins closer to the north pole on half of the lines  and pins closer to the south pole on the other half of the lines .
        Using kiku stitch, being stitching 1/8th inch from the north pole on a line where the marking pin is up towards that pole. You will be stitching an elongated kiku using the pins you have placed so - you will go down to a pin close to the south pole for the bottom of the stitch, back to the north pole, then to a pin (by the south pole), back to the north pole, down to a pin, back to the north pole, down to a pin. Repeat this sequence around to your starting point. On the other set of lines stitch a short kiku - north pole to pin (close to the north pole)  to north pole to pin etc.  Reverse the ball and stitch the same sequence around the opposite hemisphere.  Keep repeating the rounds, alternating hemispheres and sets of lines -  you will be forming regular kiku around the poles and interwoven points at the pins. You will also notice the pattern begins filling in nicely - repeat until the interwoven points reach the bottom of your kiku stitches forming from  the poles.

Mystery Temari September 2003   (intermeidate) Courtesy of Susan C, Georgia USA

       This mystery ball is easy yet gives quite an impressive appearance when completed. It will also introduce you to or give you the challenge of adding additional marking lines to create an interwoven design. Prepare a 3 inch mari wrapped in the color of your choice. You will use five different colors to stitch the pattern, so you can choose accordingly to coordinate or clash! Mark the ball is a simple/vertical four division with an obi. You will not see the marking threads after the design is completed (hopefully) so you don't need to use a "good" thread to mark with. Locate the distance between the north pole and the obi (this distance is the same from any point to any point given that it is a simple four with obi ball), and divide it into thirds. Place a pin on each mark line one third of the distance from pole to obi. You will have four pins forming the corners of a square around the pole point. Stitch an extra marking line to create this square around the pole point. Do this on each of the six pole points.   Hold the ball with a pole pointing to your nose. Notice that each of the new squares also form irregular hexagons, every other side of the hexagon being formed by a square and the alternate sides by the original marking lines. The stitching pattern will use the hexagons and the squares. Choose one of your design colors and stitch the outside outline of a hexagon (stitch on the outer side of the marking lines, away from the center of the hexagon, as working IN toward the center of the squares). Locate the hexagon directly opposite on the other side of the ball and stitch this hexagon with the same color. Repeat with each pair of opposite hexagons, each pair being stitched in a different color. Your threads will begin to overlap and cross each other on the original marking lines.
       With the fifth color of your choice, stitch the outline of each square that you laid down with the extra marking lines. Stitch on the outside of the square, away from the center pole. The stitches at each corner of a square will be placed in between the threads of the two adjacent hexagons you just outlined previously.
       This completes the stitching cycle that you will repeat to complete the ball (again, you can email for a photo hint of this step being completed if you need it). Work a round on each hexagon in the appropriate color and then a round on each square. The hexagons will fill in toward the center of the squares, eventually filling the squares. The points of the corners of the squares will work toward each other along the original marking lines. You will probably finish the hexagons and fill the squares before the corners meet; this is normal, just work extra rounds on the squares to meet the corners. The ball is complete other than any embellishing you would like, perhaps a round of metallic around each square; or some fill design in the hexagons - or nothing at all. When complete you should see a woven design in the center of each square, similar to a quilt block pattern that seems to "float" in the square. This interpretation was inspired by the Japanese Temari book "Hometown Temari", ISBN750-900003-2012

Prepare a three to four inch ball with standard thread wrap, and divide into a simple 32 with obi.  Do marking lines and obi with thin metallic or other thin thread, even just plain sewing thread. 

        Hold the ball with the North Pole at the top.  Mark 4 adjacent lines with pins 3/8 to 1/2 inch (depending on the size of your ball) above the obi.  On the next four lines to the right, mark them 1/2 the way from pole to obi.  On the next four lines to the right, mark them 3/8 to 1/2 inch above the obi - the same as the first 4 lines.  Then mark the next 4 lines 1/2 way from pole to obi.  Continue around the ball.  You should have 4 sets of 4 lines marked 1/2 way alternating with 4 sets of 4 lines marked 3/8 to 1/2 inch above the obi.
You are now going to stitch a zigzag pattern.  The first round is done with regular perle cotton.  Start with a regular herringbone stitch at the rightmost pin in a set of 4 that are close to the obi.  Go up to the rightmost 1/2 way pin in the set of 4 to the right of where you started.  At the 1/2 way pins, you will be stitching a kiku stitch.  Zig down to the rightmost pin in the next set of 4 and stitch.  Zag up to the rightmost pin in the next set of 4 and stitch.  Continue until you get back to your starting point.  Start another zigzag pattern at the pin to the left of your starting pin and stitch to the left of your previous round.  Continue until you have stitched 4 zigzag rounds.  Stitch the next round with a metallic thread.  Remember to do the kiku stitch at the 1/2 way pins and just a v-shaped herringbone at the pins close to the obi.  On a 3-inch ball, you should be able to fit in 4rounds, first round is perle cotton, next is metallic, third is perle cotton and the last is metallic.  Of course, feel free to change the rounds as desired.  These are just suggestions.  Stitch the same pattern on the southern hemisphere - holding the ball so that the South Pole is now at the top. Carefully clip the marking threads that are associated with the kiku stitch (the 1/2 way markings) at the obi.  Bury these threads so that they cannot be seen.  You should now have 4 empty spaces between the kiku stitches around the ball.  Fill these spaces with a pine needle stitch or spray, as desired. Finish the ball by putting on a wrapped obi (it will go over the sprays) and embellish the obi as desired.

        Prepare a three to four inch ball with standard thread wrap, and divide into simple 24ths.  Mark lines and obi with metallic or other decorative thread. Place pattern pins starting 1 cm from obi (north and south) and continue up each line placing a pin at a 1 cm interval.  You should be able to get 5 - 6 pins from obi to pole on a 3-inch ball.  If more pins are desired, use 1/4 inch between the pins (or any regular measurement).
        Place "keeper pins" at each intersection of the marker lines with the obi.  Keeper pins are pins placed close together at each spot to hold or keep threads in place. First round: start your stitch at one of the pattern pins right above the obi, take your thread down through the set of keeper pins to the right of where you started and stitch at the pattern pin below the obi on the next marker line.  You will be stitching on every other marker line with thread going between keeper pins on the marker lines that are not stitched.  Stop this round when you get back to where you started. 
Second round: same as the first, except now you are stitching on the "other" lines where you have not stitched the first round and the thread is going between the "other" keeper pins. Third round: use same marker lines as the first round but now stitch at the second pin up or down from the obi.  You can take the first pins out if desired.  Subsequent rounds: keep alternating and then moving up a pin.  For the obi, use one to three wraps of thread (either metallic or plain) above and below the obi to wrap and encircle the thread between the keeper pins to keep it in place.
Part of the mystery will be your choice of colors for each of the rounds and this will be what makes the ball special.