TemariKai Needle Information

Needles for stitching Temari, and Needle Care

        The question comes up many times about "official" Temari needles to be used for stitching. Just as there are many sizes and styles of needles in the West, so too are there in Japan - and just like anyone will choose a needle that works for them and their task or craft, it's the same with temari. Rather than there being a specific "Temari" needle, it's much more important to choose one that you are comfortable using and works for the project you are making. That means considering the size of the mari you are working on and the threads you are stitching with.

        Needless to say, the larger the thread you are using the more you need to adapt the size of the eye of the needle so that it threads easily - and not only for your frustration limit and your eyeballs. If you are consistently trying to force a thread into a needle eye that is too small, you will wear and damage the thread which will, over the course of working your project, become evident and detract from the effort you are putting into the temari. On the flip side of that, if you are using a needle with a huge eye in comparison to the weight of the thread, the thread will slip and slide around inside the eye, which also causes wear and erosion on the thread. In some cases it can wear and fray to the point of literally slicing or cutting the thread. All of this adds up to showing up in the finished temari. You may even find that on the same temari you need to use more than one needle - one for say pearl cotton thread and another for say, metallic embellishing.

        Similarly, the larger the mari you are working on, the longer the needle you will find helpful. it can be very difficult to pass a short needle from one place to another on a larger (and flatter) mari. In reverse, if you are working on a small or teenie mari, a long needle can be downright frustrating, if not dangerous (spoken from experience).

       Fortunately most needles are not high on the expense list - so experiment a bit and find what works for you under what circumstances. Most stitchers have needle books or cases with an assortment, that have been collected through experiment and experience, to use depending on what we are working with and on. A good starting point is a cotton darner (that's the name of the needle style) somewhere in the size 14 to 18 range; play from there and see what you like. When you are working on larger or downright big mari, something like a doll-making needle can be very helpful - they are long and usually available anywhere from 4 to 6 inches in length. Conversely, if you are working on small and teenies, something like a crewel needle may be just the ticket.

       Rather than getting hung up on obtaining and using a "real" temari needle, the thing to consider is the quality of the needle, regardless of where you get them: USA, Europe, England, Japan.... and this is exactly how it works in Japan as well. Needles in Japan are made very closely to the "styles" and sizes that we are used to in the West, not necessarily for a particular art form. The major categorical break is whether they are designed for sewing/tailoring or art/embroidery. In general things work like this (universally):

Sharps    Sizes 1–10; Basic standard needle, with sharp, small eyes - most regular sewing is done with these.
Betweens Sizes 3–10; Shorter than sharps. Commonly used for and also called quilting needles.
Milliners (no sizing); These needles are longer (about 1 5/8 inches) with small round eyes. Sometimes called "milliner straw needles."
Crewels    Sizes 1–10;     Sharp, medium long needle with larger eyes. Most embroidery is done with crewels, they are often called embroidery needles.
Chenilles Sizes 13–26; These thick, large-eyed needles like sharp tapestry needles, and are used for embroidery with heavy yarn.
Tapestry Sizes 13–26; These needles have blunt points, large eyes, and are thicker than most needles. They are used for needlepoint and some types of embroidery on canvas.
Cotton Darners Sizes 1–5;     Longer needles with long eyes; used for darning, basting and embroidery.
Yarn Darners Sizes 14–18;   Very long, large-eyed needles used with heavy yarn.
Glovers (no sizing);    Heavy sharp needles for sewing leather usually with triangular points.
Craft and Carpet - specialized size and shape, i.e. Beading (very thin), Soft Sculpture (long), Carpet, Sail making, Upholstery (very heavy duty and can be curved).

Remember- the smaller the size needle the larger it is.... and vice versa - the larger the size the finer the needle for hand-sewing needles (machine sewing needles are sized "common sense" - larger needle, larger the size number which can be confusing to people using both).

        Within these universal divisions and sizes, you can purchase very inexpensive lesser quality needles or you can invest more highly (and, for very serious sewers and embroiderers, I mean invest). Once you find out what sizes you like and use, then think perhaps about purchasing a few higher quality needles in those sizes. A common, better-quality needle in the US and UK is John James or Colonial; there are others - check your local needlework store or online. The "everyday" brands found in craft and fabric shops, like Dritz, work just fine for many people, too. So - what's the difference with a better quality? Generally what the needle itself is made of: anything from steel up to gold or platinum (yup), others may have gold eyes (to protect the thread), others may be made of a combination/alloy of metals. This can all affect how the eye treats the thread, and how the point holds that point and stays sharp. It can also affect the weight in your hand, how strong it is, and one of the most important, how smooth it is (or stays). The other factor in a better needle is the effort put into production: how straight, polished and sharp it is to begin with, and how tight the quality control is to be sure that you don't get a burred or dull one in your package.

       Major benefits of "trading up" to a higher quality needle is that you will often find them sharper in the point and more well polished - both the shaft of the needle that passes through the materials you are working on, as well as the inner lining of the eye, that can affect your thread as you thread the needle and it rides in the eye. In addition to a higher quality needle usually being made of stronger, smoother metals, the craftsmanship and quality control of the process usually gives a smoother, sharper and longer-lived item. Even if you can't see or feel burrs or spars on the needle, the thread and mari will....   and depending on what materials you are using for your mari, it can make a difference. If you are working with silk, rayon or other finer threads, even the tiniest burr can cause havoc.

       Remember too - needles DO wear out - and the life span of the needle is also related to the starting quality. Some needles have over-coatings on them that are designed to help them slide smoothly - when that begins to wear off, life can be miserable. Ditto, points can dull, and rough spots can emerge. If you feel the needle "grabbing" as you try to pull it through, it's probably time to retire it as well as when you can no longer "stick" it into your project without breaking out the hammer. Likewise, if the eye is fraying or grabbing your stitching thread, it's time to break out a new needle.

       You can extend the life of your needles with some basic care... be careful where you are "sticking" them. We all fall prey to ramming them into the arm of the chair or couch, or plowing them through our jeans or whatever happens to be handy to "temporarily" keep them "safe" - well, it may be safe for us and those feeling pain but not the needle. Just like a fine pair of scissors or a chef's knife - you need to be a bit protective of your needles. Get a good pincushion (be careful what is inside of it - some have almost anything in there that can be damaging to the needle and your pins) or make one. Use emery (an emery bag or very fine emery cloth) as needed to clean and polish your needles, and be sure keep them dry. Good, real (not synthetic) wool felt is one great way to hold and protect needles... and needle books are often a bit more protective than them rolling around in a larger box (they can damage each other. Slender needle cases are also more protective, and are sturdy so they cannot be bent or broken. Using magnetized holders is strictly personal... some people like the various gadgets available, others not, but they are generally safe for your needles. Be kind to them - if it gets "stuck", don't ram it with the hub of your scissors or grab the sawthoothed needlenosed pliers to yank it through. Most times if you are consistently not able to pass a needle through your work, it's because of a dull point to start with or you need to make some other adjustments to ease the problem (in temari it may well mean you are wrapping the mari too tightly). If you DO need to pull, use a rubber puller or other protected helper. Think of your hands also - be careful with lotions or body oils as they can accumulate a residue on the needle let alone stain or mar your project. Finer threads like silk do require you to be careful about rough dry skin, so choose a moisturizing product that is ok for working with these fibers (check out your needlework supplier). Needles are as an important part of your toolkit as a good pair of scissors or anything else - with a little basic care they will serve well.

        All this being said, you will of course come across needles packaged that say "For thus and such craft or technique". And, many times it's a help - because over time, the various styles of needles have proven themselves to be more applicable in various disciplines. Someone is making the recommendation for you that this size and style will work for what you want to do, and can be very helpful if you are new to the craft or needlework in general and don't have an idea of where to start. But, does that mean that those needles are made precisely for THAT craft, and that is the only type that should be used? Usually not - but you may be coaxed into paying a bit more if they can make you think that. As we said up top, the most important thing is that you find the needle that satisfies two things: it's the right size for the thread and project, and it's comfortable for you to use. That's all that matters in the end. You may also find thread companies selling needles for their threads or particular applications - again, it's usually more marketing based than anything else. However, in some cases it may be worthy, since if a thread company is endorsing a particular needle maker it may mean that they believe that needle is of a quality that works well with their threads. You may see this in particular with finer thread manufacturers, to lead you to a bit better quality needle that is "good" to your threads and projects. Just remember that it's not "engraved in stone", and other equivalent-quality needles will do the same job.

There have been questions about the "Temari" needles offered from Japan on Ai's Store.... again, this is more a quality rather than specialized style consideration. The needles offered with the Kyo name mean that the needles work well with Kyo threads overall, rather than being specifically "designed for temari". Ditto the needles that other thread suppliers offer - it's a convenience thing so that you can quickly grab something that will work well, or you can make your own choice.

The bottom needle in this comparison is a Dritz Cotton Darner; the three top ones are available from Japan through Ai's Store. The Kyo needles are indeed a very nice quality; I can sense a difference with them but it will always be a personal choice. (I have no business or other compensation from Ai's Store or suppliers).

All of them are shown in comparison to a strand of #5 pearl cotton.