Accomplished Beginner design. Two things that make this pattern a little bit unique – first, the stars (kiku) are "twisted" obliquely rather than being on a typical north/south orientation, and second, the marking threads for the stars are removed, leaving the stars to "float." Originally posted 2005; contributed by Susan Cameron.
	Materials: 24cm circumference mari Pearl Cotton #5 in 2 colors Metallic marking thread; waste thread for marking.

With waste thread (not good metallic, but junk thread that will be removed later) mark the ball in a Simple 5. Do not mark the equator, but leave pins at the obi on the five mark threads.  Around the NP stitch a pentagon with metallic marking thread about 2cm from the center.  Label the points on the NP pentagon A through E.  Stitch a similar pentagon with metallic thread around the SP.  Label the points on the SP pentagon numbers 1 through 5, with 1 being on the same vertical line as A, 2 on the same vertical line as B, etc. Once you have marked the pentagons, with metallic thread add a marking line from point A at the NP to point 2 at the SP, then add a marking line from point B at the NP to point 3 at the SP.  Continue in this fashion until you have all 5 oblique lines marked with metallic thread.  Your mari should now have a pentagon at the NP, a pentagon at the SP, and 5 pointy-oval shaped elements twisting obliquely around the ball with a waste marking thread bisecting each one vertically.

Now with waste thread add a marking line through each pointy-oval, from point to point.  Finally with your waste thread stitch the last marking line around the ball in a zig-zag that divides the metallic marking lines in thirds (twice around the ball completes the zig-zag.)  Now each of your pointy-ovals should be divided by 4 marking lines (crossing in the center at your obi pin) on which you can stitch the kiku design with uwagake chidori kagari. Be certain to take a good bite into the ball, because when you are finished you should carefully remove your waste marking threads.  Embellish the NP and SP pentagons as you choose.

On the diagram, the dotted lines indicate waste marking threads and the solid red lines indicate metallic marking threads.

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