It has taken almost a month but I have finally finished sewing this patter  FOUR times with various sizes of cotton. 
I purchased 4 different sizes of cotton (8, 10, 16, and 80) and technically the same three colors - Blue, Green, and White. I did this not only to evaluate the threads: what is was like to sew with them and how did they look different or the same when completed.  And as in the prior post I made bases all the same size. 

• DM Perle Cotton Size 8 : This is the size I have been using for the majority of the prior tutorials. I find it easy to work with and the sheen makes it glide easily through the base when stitching and it does not twist or know very much. With this thread there was an average of 7 stitches per division which means I did 210 total stitches (7 * 10 divisions/color * 3 colors). From the first row of pictures, below you can see the design is nice but the individual threads are visible

• DMC Cotton Size 10: This is a perle cotton that is suggested for crochet and I purchased it directly from DMC. I found that there was almost NO sheen and it looked rather flat or mat. It was not as easy to work with as the size 8 as it WOULD twist and knot easily, I ended up cutting the length of thread to be shorter to limit this but of course I had to then have more thread starts and stops. With this thread there was an average of 8 stitches per division which is 240 total stitches (8 * 10 divisions/color * 3 colors). From the second row of pictures, below you can see the design is does not even look as good as with the size 8 cotton. I don't think I will use this cotton again.

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• Presencia Finca Cotton Size 16: This is a perle cotton but it does have a multi thread twist that is not meant to be divided like a floss would; it is sold as a tatting thread and I purchased it via Amazon. I found that there was a minimal amount of sheen but it is not as much as the DMC size 8. It was not as easy to work with as the size 8 as it WOULD twist and knot easily but it was easier than the DMC size 10. Having learned my lesson with the size 10 I used shorter lengths of thread to sew with. With this thread there was an average of 11 stitches per division which means I did 330 total stitches (11 * 10 divisions/color * 3 colors).. From the third row of pictures, below you can see the design does look good if not better than the Size 8 and certainly better than the size 10  because with the finer thread the thread detail is less visible and you see the over pattern more.  I would will use this cotton again because they also have a good color selection.

• Lizbeth Cotton Size 80: This is a not a marketed as a perle cotton but it does have a multi thread twist that is not meant to be divided like a floss would; it is sold as a tatting thread and I purchased it directly from Handing Hands Tatting. This cotton is very very fine/thin and because of that. It was not as easy to work with and I went t a much smaller needle so the thread would not slip out of the eye of the needle.  It would also twist and knot easily but having worked my way to this small a thread had taught me to hold the thread as I putted the stitch through the base to prevent twisting and knotting.  With this thread there was an average of 14 stitches per division which means I did 420 total stitches (14 * 10 divisions/color * 3 colors). From the fourth row of pictures, below you can see the design is does look good if not better than the Size 8  because with the finer thread the thread detail is less visible and you see the over pattern more.  I would will use this cotton again because they also have a good color selection but using this size thread means more time sewing. It should also be noted that this size is the closest to the Japanese silk in size, if not a bit finer.

The very last picture show all the Yubinuki size by size so you can really see how the threads compare from the largest on the left to the finest on the right.

The next Yubinuki post will be the evaluation of SILK threads with this same pattern and colors. 

I have prepared 4 bases, as they are called in Japan, I was calling it a core which I guess is wrong and I will probably make a few more since there are some more silk threads for me to try, on the way. 

I used the same sized mandrel for all of the bases and I cut everything the same - the paper, the fabric lining and even the pattern paper and marked them with 30 divisions. I then took the silk I had, from my spinning supplies, to add the padding. To make sure all the patterns matched up I had to add a bit more or a bit less silk as I wound it around the base. 

The 4 bases are now ready for sewing, which I will cover in Part C and I will start with a size 8 Perle cotton.  

So I bet you are wondering WHY I am doing this. Well the answer is that I tried to sew this pattern with the Japanese silk and made an absolute mess of it. The silk kept twisting and knotting and I could not undo them so I had to cut the thread; my divisions, using the 15 per the original pattern and not the 30 I am suggesting you use, were all off and not evenly spaced;  and so I got frustrated with it and set it aside. 

That is when I had THIS idea to try different thread material and work my way down to finer threads.

This tutorial is a follow on to the The Hunt for Silk post from a few weeks ago. This tutorial will be made up of several parts that not only cover the pattern and sewing but I will sew the same pattern with different sized threads  - yes, I am making the same Yubinuki at least 4 times in cotton and 4 more in silk.  

So let's discuss the pattern (show below), here are the details

• Colors: 3 shown with Blue, Green and  White (shown as Grey)
• Needles: 3
• Divisions:  30

Sewing Notes: Each color is sewn, in order: once around in Blue, once around in Green, and once around in White. This is why you need 3 needles because using one needle and constantly re-threading the eye after each round would be extra steps. The sewing continues until all spaces are filled.

Note that after the first stitch at the top edge is taken, the second and all even numbered stitches, on the bottom edge is 3 divisions marks over.  The original pattern had 15 divisions and the second stitch was to be placed half way between two division lines, so I decided that to keep the sewing more even, it would be better to double the number of divisions; which makes the placement of the even stitch numbers much more accurate.

So what does the completed Yubinuki look like? Below the pattern are several images (used without permission) from the various Japanese books. 

So prepare your bases to follow along. 

Note: You may have to zoom in on the picture to see the lines, which are the threads, because with 30 divisions, I had to shrink the image to fit on the page.

And here is the completed Yubinuki

I love, Love, LOVE, LOVE sewing with silk
My love of silk began with sewing clothing and then when sewing hand embroidery and now I am looking at Yubinuki.

Yubinuki are traditionally sewn with silk and to date, the tutorials have been using perle (or pearl) cotton.  I have done this to gain skill and not waste an expensive thread on something that might not look so as I learned.

So the question is what size silk thread does one use and where do you get it. Soon after getting my Yubinuki books from Japan, I was looking at the images of the supplies and they showed a silk thread on a cardboard bobbin marked KNK. 

​Thus began my hunt to find this thread/chord and/or equivalents. I am now ready to share what I have found.

One place I went looking was high-end needle-point and embroidery stores. There I found the Au ver Soie Perlee (3rd from left above, which is RED), which is translated, a silk perle.  I have made one yubinuki with it (2 colors) and found it very slippery but the sheen and colors wonderful.  This 2 color yubinuki will be the next tutorial so stay tuned.

Then I went to the Houston Quilt Fest looking for other sources and I found Treenway Silk (1st on left, variegated Red/Orange) and Fiber on a Whim (2nd on left, variegated Blue/Green). These two are slightly thicker than the Silk Perle and are described as a silk chord. 

4th (Purple) and 5th (Pale Pinks) in the image are NOT silk but size 20 and size 40 cotton used for tatting. These are shown for size comparison but you might want to sew a few yubinuki with this size before tackling the REAL Japanese silk which is  the far right in Green. 

Now it is time to get to it - the elusive Japanese Silk. I have found two manufacturers of the size shown in the books; they are Fujix and Kanagawa. I spent weeks Googling and trust me I am a good Google-er; it took time but it has come to light that for traditional yubinuki silk the thread marked #9 is what should be used.  There are many a websites (Etsy or Amazon) selling #16 button hole twist thread but trust me, #16 is even finer than #9 and it is not what "we" want. I also discovered that you can, with time, find a random bobbin of #9 on eBay and on Amazon but not the full assortment of colors. 

I did purchase a bobbin of each thread via Ebay so I could do more research.

After finding the companies and their websites, I used Google translate navigate and find the pages for not only the individual bobbins of thread, but their thread sample books that show ALL the colors; at least 100 from each company but there was no way to place an international order. The KNK on-line order forms also assumed you were in Japan and they don't take credit cards OR Paypal, only checks or bank transfers. I then used their "Contact Us" for to send an email to ask HOW can I order.   It took over 10 emails of: what I wanted to purchase; where to send it in the USA; where to send the money, in Japan; and bank transfer information but the deed is done - I have paid for the order. 

So what did I get?

• kits (thread on bobbins, silk for the padding, a pre-made base and instructions in Japanese, and extra paper and fabric to make another base)
• an assortment threads
• pre-made bases (which I also call a core)
• silk padding
• fabric
• paper
• and the thread colors card. 

I hoping that I will be able to sell these items soon, here on this website, stay tuned for that!

As I stated earlier, the next tutorial will be with the Au ver Soie Perlee. After than I will do an experiment using the same pattern and sized bases but with different sized threads. This comparison will allow you and me to find out what it is like to use these threads, and what the finished Yubinuki looks like, when compared side by side.

Links to  thread sources in the USA if you want to use these other silks and cottons

• Treenway Silk :  This silk is listed as a button hold twist but depending on the company, the size can vary. 
• Fiber on Whim : Silk Chord equivalent to size 8 and 12 Perle Cotton
• Au ver Soie Perlee: A silk perle that is 3 ply and equivalent to a 12 Perle  Cotton. 
• Lizbeth Tatting Size 20 Perle Cotton
• Lizbeth Tatting Size 40 Perle Cotton

The 6 pictures below are of the threads, as I purchased them. The last two are the Fujix and the KNK.

In Tutorial 6, the yubinuki was sewn on an odd number of divisions and thus the thread for a round overlaps the thread from the prior round, let's recap that pattern and then go over the pattern:

• Thread Colors: 1
• Needles: 1
• Divisions:  11

To expand on your knowledge of reading patterns, notice that there are 11 divisions, one color and ONE direction that the sewing is done in. The image below also shows how the first part of stitching ends back at division 1 but on the opposite side from where the stitching started

In the next tutorial, we will start with the pattern and then sew it!

Welcome back! It is time for the next tutorial in this series.

The tutorials so far have taught the basics: making a core,  a division tool, how to prepare the core for sewing, and then sewing your first yubinuki with a single color, single needle, and a pattern with an even number of divisions. 

This second sewing tutorial will be a single color, single needle pattern with an odd number of divisions.  This is important because the number of divisions from the previous tutorial was an even number and this results in when taking the first stitch of the second round, the needle was back at the starting point.  For this tutorial, the first stitch of the second round will be on same division line as the very first stitch but on the opposite edge of the yubuinuki; this means it will take TWO rounds to return to the starting point.  All of this is important because it results in the threads being interlaced.   

Let's get started! 
Gather you material, supplies and tools:

• Core with padding or not (depending on if you add your pattern on top of or below the padding)
• Perle Cotton Size 5 - one color but not a dark color, as this will make seeing the stitches difficult
• Patter Division Tool
• Support Mandrel
• Needle with an eye large enough for your thread
• Threader (optional)
• Scissors

Part 1: Preparing to Sew

• Refer to Step 2 in the post Tutorial 3 to determine the length of your pattern paper.
• Lay the pattern paper on the pattern tool and position the points so you have an ODD number of divisions.  The picture below show 5, you should aim for 9 or 11. 
• Mark the divisions on the paper.
• Draw your direction arrows.
• Apply the pattern to the core.
• If required, add your padding, you may have laid it UNDER the pattern.

​Part 3 : Sewing Remaining Rounds

• Sew the remaining rounds.
• Keep checking your stitch spacing so you end up with the same number of stitches per division.
• With every stitch, make sure your interlaced (crosses) are in the center of the core.
• On your last stitch, bury the thread in the core, under the stitching. Then cut the thread and bury the end.

Here is what the completed yubinuki should look like when completed.

Now that a simple, single color thread has been sewn, it would be good to cover reading and even making your own pattern; and to start the sewing pattern from the last tutorial is the perfect starting point.

Let's recap that pattern:

• Thread Colors: 1
• Needles: 1
• Divisions:  10 

Here is a pattern diagram of what was sewn; can you understand or read it based upon what was sewn? 

Let's now go over what the pattern instructions are:
​A) First, you can see that there are 10 divisions
B) The one in the circle and the arrow indicate where to start and in what direction to stitch
C) The stitching begins at division line 1
​D) The colored line not indicates the color use 
E) Since there are no other lines, arrows, or numbers this pattern is sewn, around and around until the threads fill in all the spaces.

Yes, this is a simple pattern but now look at this pattern below, from one of the Japanese books I have. Yes, this is a very complex pattern. The book that this came from is ALL patterns and almost NO descriptions, not even in Japanese! 

 I have NOT sewn this and each time I look at it I understand a bit more. This pattern uses 6 colors and the patter is sewn from left to right AND right to left. It also appears to interweave the threads which requires at least 2 needles, each with a thread. This implies that after each round with one needle/thread, the other needle thread is used - this can be seen in how the green sections cross.

Some day, this pattern will be shown in a tutorial

In this tutorial, I will teach you how to sew a yubinuki with a disclaimer which is - it won't be perfect.
Why? 
Because the hardest part of sewing a yubinuki is getting your stitches to be evenly spaced, around the ring, such that you have the same number of stitches in each division of the pattern.  As you will see, as you learn, when you have finished sewing a division, some will be filled with stitches and others will have gaps. As your designs get more complex and you use finer threads, the number of stitches taken within a division will change which adds to this issue.  Again, just keep this in mind and the more yubinuki you make, the better your skill at spacing your stitches will become. The disclaimer is now over!

NOTE: I have done this yubinuki twice, once with the pattern below the padding and once with the pattern on the padding; so some pictures will be of one, or the other or both.  AND neither has the herringbone top stitch, which holds them down, so not to confuse you.
 
To start gather you material, supplies and tools:

• Core with padding and pattern
• Perle Cotton Size 5 - one color but not a dark color, as this will make seeing the stitches difficult
• Support Mandrel
• Needle with an eye large enough for your thread
• Threader (optional)
• Scissors

NOTE: Start with a size 5 perle cotton as it thicker and thus less stitches are required to fill a division. As you gain experience, then move to finer threads.

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​Hi there fellow Yubinuki-ers, there is now a new community for us to learn and share.
This community is a sub-group of a Temari community but you do NOT have to join the Temari group.
The group currently has only about 50 members who have a variety of experience, so come join us!

Note: This is not a Facebook group, and you do have to sign up when you go to the URL but there is NO cost involved.

The link is:  https://temarichallenge.groups.io/g/Yubinuki