Herewith is Blair's rundown of a curriculum year - and we also show off the kids and their work. Blair shares with you how she presents the project to parents, enlists their help, and also manages costs. And oh, yes - how to teach upwards of 50 kids how to make temari.

From Blair: Another year had come about and it was time to bring my students into the world of Temari. So, how do I do it? From past experience (this was - I think - my 4th, maybe 5th year bringing Temari into my classroom), I knew parents were the key to success. Weeks before Temari was even scheduled into the lesson plans, I put out a letter explaining about the craft and asking for a $5 donation to help with supplies. Students and parents understood from the start that the balls students would create in class would be of a simple variation, depending on what grade they were in and how many times they had participated before. Since I work in a 3rd through 5th grade school, some of the fifth graders had made Temari for two years running and were ready to try designs with more detail.

Anyway, donations poured in with plenty of time still to shop. Everything I use for this project each year comes from Wal-Mart.  I purchased the 50 cent Wal-Mart brand of thread for the cover; albeit students didn't get as much of a choice in background, it made life easier for me. Besides, just about any color can work on black or white. Batting was purchased and given to one parent with the measurements to cut out enough circles to cover the Styrofoam balls. One roll of batting should be enough for 40-50 students. Since I used black and white for the cover thread, I also purchased the inexpensive black and white yarn. I know many believe in using a different color for the surface thread. I have found, though, in teaching Temari to younger kids, patience on their part can run thin. Therefore, if the yarn and the thread are the same color, it can be ok if they stop without covering every little place where yarn shines through. Believe me, I encourage them to keep wrapping and wrapping but you can quickly tell when a child has had enough and is ready to move on. Another parent took the skeins of yarn from me and rolled them into individual balls, maybe fist sized. Still another parent made up one gallon Ziploc packets by putting one Styrofoam ball (can be found at Wal-Mart but I bought these on sale at Hobby Lobby), one ball of yarn, and one spool of thread into the packets. This would hold all the student's supplies during the duration.

Stitching thread would be the student's choice. I tried something different this year. In the past, I have purchased inexpensive DMC embroidery thread. I think that DMC works great when working with smaller groups but I have 50+ kids I work with and untangling their skeins gets old very quickly. This time, I bought a variety of crochet thread. All of the thread was put into reach of the students. When they needed more they picked up their scissors and went back to the counter to cut off what they needed. Less fuss, less muss as my grandmother used to say. Marking thread was also crochet thread, black or gold with some metallic running through it. Needles and pins were kept close to me. I did not like leaving them in bags more for the student's safety than anything else. I have maybe three metallic pin cushions that the students come get what they need when they need it.

So now it is time to teach. This has been most successful for me in stages but is easily adaptable for your group and the ability. It works well with me as I see a different group of students one day a week.
 
Week One - I introduce the history and the geometry of Temari. We wrap the ball with batting, then cut and trim where needed to keep the rounded shape. I also let them choose their marking color then their stitching colors by cutting off a piece or two of crochet thread to put in their packets. Names are put on the packet.
 
Week Two - yarn wrap week. Self explanatory I think. I encourage the students to sit on the floor or create their own way of keeping the ball in place. I am reminding them constantly to keep rotating the ball and to "cut" those white areas with another wrap of yarn. This helps them to avoid crossing over the same place too many times. I tell them anchoring the yarn is optional as we will be going right over it with thread. If they are ready and willing, and there is time, go ahead and start with the threads.
 
Week Three - thread wrap week. Basically the same as last week except everyone is working with thread. They have a tendency to lose patience with the thread here but I encourage them to keep it moving and before they know it, the thread will be gone. They know they may not anchor until I see their ball. If I feel they need to wrap a little more, I make sure they can see the yarn showing so they understand why. If I sense they are close or have had enough, I help them anchor. I also volunteer to "spot" them a  few times. In other words, they can take a break while I wrap their ball. This helps secure loose threads and hopefully, you have a chance to even things out if it is looking wobbly.

Week Four - Measuring week. For my beginners or first timers, We do a simple 4 division. This is an easy way to keep their interest and still have a pretty accurate divide. Your call. I think it depends on your groups motor skills on whether you want to use a paper strip and divide the ball according to tradition. Sometimes even the fifth graders have trouble with paper strip dividing. No matter, I do make sure the students understand that the paper strip is the way to go and is something they will learn if they choose to do another ball. Sometimes those "newbies" want to do it and I let them. Once the marking lines are in place, then we are ready for the next week. We use either a tape measure or a paper strip to place pins in a according to what our pattern will need so we will be ready for next week.
 
Week Five - And it is time to stitch. I will try to have a ball of my own ready to demonstrate but students are always willing to let you use theirs. I gather them around and behind me so they can see the stitching. If I have left handers, they sit in front of me and think left whenever I say right. I encourage all of the students to think of the face of the ball as a clock. The NP is 12 and the SP is 6. (We are doing a spindle here.) The needle digs in to the right and away from the ML (marking line) and comes up just to the side of the marking line and above the pin. They bring the thread so it "points" to 12 and lays next to the ML. The needle comes from R to L just above the pin and as close to the ML as possible picking up a few ball threads on the way. Pull the needle through and take the thread clockwise to 10-11-12-1-2-3-4-5- and then 6. Never work at 6 o'clock though. Rotate the ball so the 6(SP) becomes 12 and the 12(NP) becomes 6. Always make sure your thread is on the left and your needle is coming from the right before you take a stitch. Make sense? If I have left handers, I have found I can work on a ball with the stitching area facing them and away from me. That way they can see it as it is meant to be for them. I spend time on how to anchor and how to start a new thread, especially if there are uneven threads on each side of the ML (for example 3 on one side and 2 on another). When they feel comfortable, they move away from me and start stitching. Most get it pretty quickly but others will need help. Keep an eye on all of them as you will have some that will have the needle going left to right so all they have done is dig the stitching under the ML, not sewn.  I have had some that have "gotten away" from me and brought me a ball almost complete in that fashion. No matter, I fill them with encouragement as they have gotten their first taste of Temari and that's what counts with me.
 
One tip I discovered this year: I had one child in 4th grade attempting the rose garden. This was her 2nd time to do Temari. She is right handed.  She was having a load of trouble remembering the sequence of the stitches. I suggested she hold the ball "in her belly button" and then stitch away from her body. She held it close to her body even to rotate the ball and started doing much better.

Doing Temari with students can be time consuming but for me, it has been worth it. The students learn patience, history, and culture with a little math thrown in. The Temari reputation at our school has grown to the point that the incoming third graders coming from the elementary school down the street have heard about it and are wanting to know more. I think the 2003-2004 crop of Temari my students will create will be the best yet.