To work along you will need a wrapped mari, marked in a C8. For best results on this it should be 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter. Both background and marking threads will be (ideally) covered so use quiet colors (like gray) for the mari wrap and you can mark it in unobtrusive thread - you need to see it but it does not have to be high contrast. Remember, this all gets covered so it actually helps if the background and markings are not jumping out at you. To stitch the ball you will need 8 colors of pearl cotton #5. After you work the pattern you will see that you can adjust colors and placements but, for this we'll go by the book and use 8 different colors.  Put marking pins in the north and south poles of your prepared mari. Make a color sequence list of your 8 colors. You will use this to keep things in order as you stitch, so hang on to it.

        The first thing to happen is that you need to develop an "eye" for seeing the major shapes that are formed as part of the core divisions of Temari. On a C8 for example, the major shapes are squares, triangles and diamonds. There is a square around each of the six poles. You can also easily see the triangles that are formed with their points converging at the poles.  To accomplish all-over patterns you generally stitch a row in each shape being used on the marking, all over the ball and then go back and repeat, building the design up in layers. Keeping these layers building in the natural one-by-one sequence is the most important thing if the pattern outcome is going to have the desired effect.  This pattern makes it easier since by using a different color for each one it will b easy to follow. On other patterns you may need to use other methods - see the All Over/Interwoven Pattern Hints page.

       This pattern uses double row stitching - while you can use any "trick" you wish to, as a learning exercise for now I recommend using single thread and working around each shape twice.
     

These diagrams and photos show how to orient the mari to the diagram in the book. I've redone the diagram as it appeared in the Japanese book but it is very similar. In the diagram on the left, note the purple triangle. In the middle diagram, notice the inverted triangle shown in blue. This is the stitching path and will be repeated around the pattern. You will locate this blue triangle in each sector around the mari.  The photo shows a marked mari with three pins locating the blue triangle.

This is the stitching sequence that will be followed around each pole	1. Locate the blue triangle shown the diagram around the north pole hemisphere. Thread up Color 1 and work 2 rows around the blue triangle.  I'm using red here. Put a pin in the middle of this triangle to help mark the starting place for future rounds.	2. Repeat in each triangle around the north pole, using two rows of each of the first four colors of your color sequence list. Here it's red, yellow, pink and green. The pin marks the north pole.

3. Turn the mari over, and we'll repeat around the south pole, using colors five through eight. Green is being used here for the first triangle on the southern hemisphere. Put a pin in this triangle, also.	4. This shows the triangles around the south pole, with the color sequence being green, royal, turquoise, purple.	5. This shows the first layer complete, looking at it from the obi. South pole at top, north pole at the bottom (remember the color sequence being used here).

        The first layer is complete - remember all-overs are made up in layers. Return to the starting triangle  - the one in the northern hemisphere with the pin in it, that uses Color 1. As you continue to work further layers, pay attention to keeping the sides of the triangles straight and parallel; notice the points of the triangles you are stitching will close into the six-point centers of the marked triangles on the mari. Try to stay on a straight track to these centers with the points of your stitching.

6. Thread up color 1 and work two more rows around.	7. Continue around each triangle, in sequence. Two rows of each color on each triangle, following this same sequence of progression around the mari.	8. The layers build up and interweave themselves.

        It's not unusual in all-over patterns that there needs to be some "fill-in" - as the pattern closes in, there may be some gaps where they should have filled in. Much of this is dependent upon learning how to control placing of stitches which develops with practice but - some of it is also dependent upon how round the mari is, and how accurate and precise your markings are. Many people find that they "thought" their maris and markings were pretty good, until they meet an all over and "uh oh" - things are quite as precise as you thought. This is all part of temari, not to worry. In most cases a mari never is perfectly round so there is always going to be some touching up to do. Start off by grooming the threads with the back end (eye) of your needle, working the sides of the triangles out so they are parallel as much as possible.  As you close in the pattern and it covers the mari, if there are gaps you can simply take some extra stitches, trying to keep the color sequence going, to fill in where needed. Many times you will find that your points will have met and closed before the sides, so just use shorter stitches with their ends buried where needed to complete the effect.

		A big hint for working all-over designs to keep things "on track"  - remember, the color sequence building up in layers is what creates the layered, woven effect that is the hallmark of this style pattern. There are various tricks to keeping on track. Here, the major one used was a separate color for each sector, so as long as you kept going according to the color list you created before starting you should have been ok, along with the marker pins we placed in each starting triangle of the north and south hemisphere. But, these simpler tricks don't always cover the bases. The page of hints on working all over patterns has more ideas of how to keep track of things, however the big key is to always look for the next shape that is totally UNDER all the adjacent shapes. Look at Photo 2, when the first round around the northern hemisphere was complete. You can see that the red triangle has its points UNDER the others, where the others have one under and one over. You are always looking for the shape that is fully under the adjacents.
9. This photo shows the pattern with the sides and points closed in.	10.To finish the design, and create a "stained glass effect", use either single or double black thread to outline the triangles. You can add additional lines down the middle of the diamonds that are formed as two colors meet, if you wish.