Temari is the ancient Japanese art of wrapping threads around a spherical object in intricate patterns. Not many books exist on this unusual, but beautiful and absorbing, craft but here is one of them, originally published in France in 2007.

I imagined this craft, once the preserve of the wealthy classes, would involve a lot of unusual and expensive items but fortunately I was wrong. All you need are some comparatively easy to obtain items such as polystyrene balls (the Japanese used old tights or stockings, which would be my own greener choice) along with various yarns and threads, and a few sewing notions such as pins. All the items needed are shown on two pages, then it is on with starting your first temari. Begin by wrapping wool around the ball to cover it and provide a ground to work on, divide it up into sections with thread and then choose one of the geometric patterns to decorate it with. If you have ever done any pin craft this will be easier, but there are plenty of photographs and clearly drawn diagrams to follow. The page showing the simple divisions and what they looked like on the ball was very useful, as it gave a good idea of what you are going to end up with.

The projects themselves are described in words, with an accompanying photo of the finished article and list of what you need. There are a lot of them, and at the start of each group of similar styles, there is a page showing what sets this type of temari apart from the others. It would have been a good idea if at least one of the actual projects had been shown in photographed stages but this does not quite happen. This is a book to read through carefully first, then work through one project in easy stages. You will get there and be rewarded with an item which has many uses—perhaps the most obvious one being as a Christmas tree decoration. At least, that is what I am going to do with mine...

If you cannot find a good range of the materials required for this craft locally try SearchPress.com for a list of suppliers.