Temari Pattern 99TB02
Advanced beginner to Intermediate Pattern contributed by Terry Blanchard
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Mardi Gras Madness

An optical illusion of 3-D cubes created from a tight form of an older tri-direction weave pattern gives this temari its unique design.  The most difficult part is finding the path and weaving the third set of threads into the first two.  The entire ball works fast in that the design is developed mostly from wrapping and weaving rather than stitching.   Any three colors may be used and will develop into the illusion; for this Mardi Gras colors were used: purple, gold and green.  This is a rare pattern in that there is actually no need for marking thread, just keeper pins at the obi. The pattern was interpreted from a Japanese pattern (reference number unknown) and initially shown by Paula George at the annual 2003 spring meeting of the TalkTemari discussion group & published on Temarikai website (www.temarikai.com); with her permission I've enhanced the directions here.   
       
 
This mari is a 3 inch with forest green cotton thread.  DMC 5 pearl cotton in 550 purple, 742 gold and 909 green is used.  Gold Rush 14 - WG4C gives the gold highlights in the multi-colored outlining.  DMC 5282 gold metallic floss is used to create the free form stars.  This design can be done in a simpler form by increasing the number of threads in each wrap band from 6 to 8 and cutting down the number of bands from 12 (for 6 thread bands) to 8 (for 8 thread bands).

1.  Prepare the ball.  Divide into a simple vertical 6.  There is no need to lay marking threads.  Once all pins have been checked and re-checked for placement accuracy add keeper pins (two adjacent pins to hold a thread bunch) at each of the 6 obi pins.  So the ball will have a north and south pin and 6 sets of keeper pins around the obi.
 
2. First Weave. Cut 6 wraps plus 5 inches of DMC 742 gold.  (Color order is not significant).  Start by entering to exit at one of the obi keepers and wrap towards the north pole.  On the first wrap you may chose to lay the first thread either left or right of the pole.  If left of the north pole, when you reach the south pole lay it on the right side of the south pole (or, vice versa, north pole right, south pole left).  Continue the 5 remaining wraps, laying each adjacent to previous wrap.  Exit to hold.  Adjust and lay stitches close together.
 
3.  Place a pin (small is fine) outside the 6 wraps parallel with each pole pin.  Continue doing bands in sets of 6 wraps with a pin between each band.  I alternate bands left of north pole then right of north which gives a nice gather at the keeper pins.  When completed, you have 6 bands on the left and 6 bands on the right of each pole pin, for a total of 12 bands.  You will also have a straight line of pins marking the separation of each band at both poles.  These pins are just markers, saving the time of counting 6 threads/band for the next weaving step.
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3.  Second weave.  Cut 6 wraps plus 5 inches of DMC 550 purple.  (Color order is not significant).  The weave will be laid from the center (by the pole) outward.  Holding the mari north pole up, facing the keeper pins holding the first weave,  turn the mari  ¼ turn to the right for your next set of keeper pins (i.e. work the keepers to the left of the starting set).   Start by entering to exit at the obi keepers and wrap towards the pole (either left or right of the pole pin).  The weave pattern is over 1 band, under 2 bands, over 1 band, under 2, over 1, under 2 over 1, etc.  The previously placed pins between each band will eliminate having to count the 6 threads per band.  To begin go over the first gold band aiming towards the pole (blue line on photo).  Using the eye of the needle, weave under the next 2 yellow bands.  Then over 1 band followed by a weave under two.  Continue weaving over 1 under 2 until you reach the end of the gold bands.
 
4.  Wrap the purple thread thru the keepers to the other side.  Start the same weave but this time you must aim to the opposite side of the pole.  If you aimed to the right on north, then aim left on south or vice versa.   Follow the same weave pattern: over 1, under 2, over 1, under 2, etc.  Continue laying 5 more threads, using the first weaved thread as the pattern.  This completes the first band of purple.  Adjust and lay stitches close together.
 
5.  The second purple band will have the “over” weave started on the gold band directly above the first weave.  Or put another way; go under 1 gold band, then over 1 band, under 2, over 1, under 2, over 1 etc.  Weave the same pattern on the south side, the only difference being it will be placed on the opposite side of the band.  Adjust and lay stitches close together.
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6.  The third purple band will have the “over” weave started on the gold band directly above the second weave.  Or put another way; go under 2 gold bands, then over 1 band, under 2, over 1, etc.  Weave the same pattern on the other side, the only difference being it will be placed on the opposite side of the pole.  Adjust and lay stitches close together.  The counter pins may be removed after the third band is laid.
 
7.  Continue laying bands by following the “diagonal” defined by the first three purple bands (note the red line in the photo) to guide where the “over” weaves are placed.  Note that you never go “under” more than 2 adjacent bands.  When starting a new band, if the “under” count looks like it should be 3 then it really should be over 1, under 2.   On each band, once the “over” is placed the subsequent pattern is always under 2, over 1, under 2, over 1, etc.  As on the first weave, I alternate bands left of the existing set then right of the existing set which gives a nice gather at the keeper pins.  Always adjust and lay stitches close together after each band is completed.  When completed, you have 6 bands on the left and 6 bands on the right of each pole pin, for a total of 12 bands. 
 
8.  Third Weave.   Cut 7 wraps plus 5 inches of DMC 909 green.  (Color order is not significant).  This weave takes a little more thread per band.  As with the previous, the weave will be laid from the center (by the pole) outward.  Holding the mari north pole up, facing the keeper pins, turn the mari to face the last set of keeper pins. 
 
9.  Finding the third weave path is the most difficult part of this temari.  Laying a loose thread across the temari between the empty keeper pins will help your eye find the correct path.  The diagonal will not flow directly between the last set of keeper pins.  The path will be slightly offset so rotate the thread left or right but keeping the thread straight. The diagonal line is formed by the small rectangular “boxes” of the second weave, in this case by the purple wrap (blue line in photo).  The purple “boxes” have an “open” end (where the gold passes under the purple) and a “closed” end (where the purple passes under the gold).  Your diagonal must travel thru the “open” side of the rectangle (i.e. you needle has to pass under the purple in the direction of the diagonal).  If the diagonal you find is thru the “closed” end the purple rectangle, you have to rotate your diagonal 90 degrees.
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10.  Start by entering to exit at the obi keepers and wrap towards the diagonal you found.  The first weave should be on the diagonal as close to the pole as possible (either left or right of the pole pin).  All stitching through the purple rectangles will be done under the purple threads but over the gold (between the two weaves).  The stitching will actually follow a zig-zag path, as noted by the red line in the photo. The first and last thread (number 1 and 6) of each band will be “stitched in the ditch”.  On the first (and last) thread, rather than just passing the thread under the purple thread with the back end of the needle, use the pointed end to catch some of the mari thread in the “ditch” under the purple rectangle and alongside the last gold thread within the purple rectangle.  This helps anchor the weave into a defined zig-zag shape.  If you would just pull all 6 threads through, the pattern is less defined.  Threads 2 thru 5 can be weaved through the traditional method, via the back end of the needle.

 
11.  Note: NEVER pull the threads on this weave tight.  Leave them extremely loose. In fact, you can exaggerate the zig-zag shape as you weave through each purple rectangle.  This looseness will use up the extra wrap you added.  
 
12.  Weave the same pattern on the other side, the only difference being it will be placed on the opposite side of the pole.  The next band will be laid parallel to the first.  Continue laying parallel bands.  As additional bands are laid the number of purple “boxes” to weave get smaller, until the last band which may have only one or two purple “boxes” to weave through. It is OK to end up with less than 12 bands on this last weave.
 
13.  Smooth, nudge and adjust threads for consistency in design.  I take a considerable amount of time doing this which results in a much stronger design pattern.
 
14.  Outlining.  You will add metallic outlining on the outside of each weave using Gold Rush 14.  Complete outlining both sides of each weave before continuing on to the next weave color.  Outlining order is not important but again, complete both sides of one weave color before continuing.  The metallic outlining is 7 threads using the Gold Rush intermixed with the DMC, in the following pattern: metallic, purple, metallic, gold, metallic, green, metallic. 
 
15.  Free form stars.  In the empty irregular shapes around the obi, using the DMC metallic floss, create free form stars by stitching a + over an X.  Matching the irregular shape with edges of your star is pleasing as is having irregular lengths of each stitch.
 
16.  Design is complete. 


 
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Last updated 5/2004 © From 1998 inclusive G.Thompson and Terry Blanchard