I’ve bought some interesting thread for upper layer of wrapping mari! It is no-name sewing fiber for stockinet. Sorry, if I didn’t find proper name in English, but I have a picture:

If you release a thread from a spool, you can see it is not woven, it is just fiber. Careful, it becomes entangled easily.

The best way is not wrapping upper level right on the yarn, but do some ordinary thread layer (maybe from the cheaper thread and not very fine) and wrap this fiber over the thread.

The result is very fancy: it is like hatching on the charcoal drawing.

I like it! I’ll try to stitch a pattern and will show the result here, so, please, stay tuned ;)

I’ve started cross stitching not very long ago. I had some old craft supplies from my childhood and craft lessons at school, so I could use it for some time. But then I’ve faced the lack of some colors,В I wroteВ downВ color numbersВ  in DMC system and went to local craft supplies shop.

IВ wasВ shocked!В В One skein of DMC embroidery floss costs about $1.1 in Russian shops! It is very expensive. People sigh and buy, but I know it costs about 50-60 cents on Amazon or eBay…

WhyВ payВ more?В IВ wentВ toВ eBayВ andВ boughtВ theВ DMC floss, buy 100,choose your own colors В lot.В InternetВ rules!

HereВ isВ myВ treasure:

Also, as you can see, I’ve bought DMC amd Anchor color cards. The point is: we have cheap and good russian embroidery flossВ here,В butВ itВ hasВ noВ colorВ numbers. Using theese cards I canВ pickВ colors right in a shop,В IfВ in a scheme it is in DMC or Anchor system. It was very handy in organizing old supplies of russian (or, I think Soviet Union) floss.

This temari looks extremely Japanese and this is not for nothing. Asa-no-ha (麻の葉) pattern is very traditional for Japanese arts and crafts. Look at kimonos, for example. They usually have ornament as on temari ball above:

Japanese people believed this ornament defends their children from evil spirits, so kid’s kimonos and blankets have ASA-NO-HA pattern even now.

Asa-no-ha means flax (or cannabis, if you like ;) ), and 6 point star in the base of this pattern symbolizes flax leaves. Flax grows fast and straight, so Japanese mother wishes her baby to grow up faster and become strong and tall then wrap into asa-no-ha patterned blanket.

BabyВ clothesВ isВ notВ theВ onlyВ useВ forВ thisВ pattern.В ItВ isВ usedВ widelyВ almostВ everythereВ В on japanese crafted goods.

Want to make this ball yourself? I am working on the step-by-step tutorial, so watch my blog, please.