Accomplished Beginner design.  One of many patterns where an obi is woven through spindles (tsumu kagari). Originally posted 2005; contributed by Susan C.
	Materials: 23 cm circumference mari in black Pearl Cotton #5 in colors of your choice Marking thread to match mari wrap. It helps the effect of the pattern if the perle in the obi weave is the same color as the mari wrap

Mark the ball in a simple 10 division with an equator, using a matching thread to the mari base to make it invisible. Using colors of your choice in perle #5, stitch tsumu kagari (spindles) around the ten division lines.  With this pattern, it is necessary that the number of times you go around the spindle must be an UNEVEN number.  In my ball it was eleven rounds (making the whole spindle 22 threads wide.)  I suggest making one whole spindle to begin with; you can then determine the number of rounds you need so that the sides of your spindles will almost meet at the equator and also allows you to see if you’re happy with your color arrangement, before you stitch all ten spindles.

Starting pins for the spindles are 1/2 way between the north pole and equator, and the other 1/2  way between the equator and south pole. Be sure to stretch your points. Ends of the spindles should almost reach the north and south poles.  For this first spindle, I also find it helps to have placed guide pins on the equator, one on either side of the division line that I’m working around, 1/2  way between that division line and the one adjacent to it.  This way, I can gauge when my spindle is nearing the right width.  When your spindle almost reaches the guide pins at the obi, count the number of thread rounds (on one side of the division line) to be certain the total is an uneven number … if it’s not, adjust by adding or taking off one round.  Once you’ve got it looking good, make the other nine spindles just like it – same color arrangement and same number of thread rounds.

Now comes the fun part … weaving the obi.  You do this with #5 perle that matches your mari wrap color.  Use a double thread (but don’t let them twist.)  Wrap once around the obi – on top of all threads of all spindles – the two threads should straddle your equator marking thread, which probably peeks out in between the widest parts of your spindles.  To the north of these two threads, wrap around again (keep using a double thread), this time weaving under the two center threads of each spindle.  To the north of this, wrap around again, this time weaving under six threads of each spindle (the center two threads and two additional threads on each side of the center ones.)  Continue in this manner, each time weaving under two additional threads on each side of the center threads, until finally you do one wrap where you are weaving under all threads of your spindles.  Repeat this same process on the south side of the equator.  You should end up with solid color diamonds going around the obi.

As a final touch, you can put a line of metallic thread from the edge of each diamond, across the pole and down to the edge of the corresponding diamond on the other side.

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