Letters
The State of the Mini Kiki Mariko
Dear Ann,
I had hoped to reach the moment of Glorious Felting on my mini Kiki Mariko Rug for Olive’s ramp, but after I checked my felting math I realized that I had a few more pattern repeats to go before I could be assured the rug will be long enough after felting. No short rugs for my Olive girl! Better too long than too short.
This is where we are:
This little rug is all leftover bits and pieces of Lamb’s Pride Bulky, plus various Manos and Noro oddments (that turquoise!), until I got to the last few repeats, where I confess I snapped the seal on my Kiki Mariko Rug Kit and raided it for a few sassy brights.
With a foot of snow on the ground, those citrus shades were irresistible to me.
Miss Congeniality here has graduated to using her ramp in the lowest setting. The bed is still a hop, but a shorter, cushier hop.
This one is not even done and I’m dying to cast on the next one. I love it when I get a case of multiples fever—it makes the knitting go even faster.
New Frontiers in Felting Technology
As usual, virtuoso knitter Nell Ziroli is ahead of the Bang-Out-a-Kiki-Mariko curve. She’s out there learning the ways and means and tips and tricks to benefit the rest of us.
Here’s Nell’s rug immediately before felting.
I now want a skirt with a belt that’s a circular needle.
You will not want to miss the video of Nell’s steeking.
And here’s an amazing tip: Nell didn’t felt her Kiki Mariko in a top-loader or a front-loader, or in a washing machine at all. She soaked it in the tub until saturated, squeezed most of the water out, and then dried her rug in the dryer with a couple of tennis balls—I know! Is our Nell made of stern stuff, or what?
Nell’s method may be unorthodox, but it worked beautifully. I’m a little afraid that it would only work for someone with Nell’s derring-do, and that if I tried this myself I would get a massive hairball of matted fibers. But I’m intrigued enough that I may put Olive’s little rug in the dryer as a last step, when it’s almost dry. I love how smooth and crease-free her rug came out, and I attribute this to the plumping and fluffing effects of tumble-drying.
Note: Nell used a mix of worsted-weight yarns, double stranded.
I commend anyone in need of a blast of winter sunshine to follow the Instagram hashtag #BangOutaKikiMariko and check out the hijinks in the MDK Lounge. People are flying through their rugs, and generating lots of wisdom. We’re only a third of the way through the month, so there’s still plenty of time to join the fun.
Love,
Kay
P.S. The MDK Shop is getting close to being able to re-stock our Kiki Mariko Rug Kits. The colors we are missing are expected in Nashville soon. Thank you for bearing with!
Looks great ! I just completed my kiki rug, the knitting portion, what a quick fun project now to felt and cut . My question is this…. do I weave in the ends ends prior to felting? Tie them off or what to do with them
What is the disadvantage of putting in the dryer, possibility of shrinking too much?
Thank you for your assistance. Now to order a 2nd bunch of yarn so that I can have a match for the other side of the bed 🙂
I wove in the mid-rug joins, but not the color changes in the steek area. Those were tied in bows, and left to felt and then be cut off or out. Congratulations on rug #1.
I ordered the needle that I needed from a store 7 hours away. Being in lockdown I couldn’t drive there. Ordered on Jan 25th and on Jan 7 it was 2 hours closer to me in Toronto and still not here. I am disappointed but it isn’t the shops fault. I could understand better if it had to cross the Canada/US border…hopefully i get it soon as I can’t imagine doing this if and when summer gets here.
I have used the dryer for fulling. Had 13 yards of handwoven to do. In discussion with weavers someone mentioned the dryer, which I used. It was fluffy with somewhat of a halo. Yarn was 100% wool, no mohair blend. Was directed to some work done by a student at Winthur about the different outcomes achieved by different methods of fulling. (Sorry, that name is lost.) Confirmed my results: fluffy. YMMV
You’re killing me with the amazing Kiki Mariko posts! I want to make one!!! It’s on my list—right after the 4 baby blankets (2 family babies due the same week!) and 3 sweater kits that I got for Christmas. Keep those kits in stock—I’ll be coming for one!
Your Bang-Outs always coincide with my busiest season, so I never get to participate. My MDK Kiki kit is next in queue, though, for when I come up for air!
Miss Congeniality indeed! Oh Olive. ❤
It’s been five hours since I laughed out loud at the Miss Congeniality caption, and I’m still laughing! Just too perfect!
I am so excited about my finished Kiki Mariko that I have been brainstorming other color palettes. Mid-century modern in chartreuse greens, grays, plummy purples, shots of orange–think Orla Kiely inspiration. While shoveling my driveway I thought about New England winter in barn red, evergreen, snow white, bark brown, granite gray, sky blue, with shots of golden sunlight.
As a note, I highly recommend cleaning out the washing machine filter after felting. I also ran the self-clean cycle on my front-loading machine.
The ramp runner looks good so far, but Olive looks impatient. Did you forget her second breakfast?
I didn’t know that dryer felting was a fringe activity! I’ve been doing that b/c it’s way easier to open the dryer door than stop a washing machine. It can muddle detailed fairisle designs, though.
I too have been dryer felting for a long time. I could control the temp and easily clean out the lint. The washer was not a thing and I do have a top loader. Sorry folks can’t stand the front loading washers plus they are so large.
Cheers. I hope all are staying safe and warm.
Oh yes, I love everyone’s Kiki rug. I finished a Cowl and I am ready to cast on. Should be fun. I bought my kit at Christmas. Now there are so many fun color choices.
I also want a skirt with a circular needle for a belt. I learned to felt stuff in the dryer also, because in our last house our washer had no hot water. Necessity is the mother of invention!
I love the picture of little Olive on her ramp and new rug. She just needed you to make it a little homire for her. How sweet❤️❤️❤️
I think Nell should forget about a rug and make it a modern mermaid’s tail instead. Glorious!
Hey dryer felters, what do you think – if I turned the tube inside out before felting in the dryer, would that reduce the excess halo and pattern-muddling effect on the right side? And would an old sneaker be an acceptable substitute for tennis balls (any tennis balls around here have an excess of dog slobber)?
I use old sneakers (I buy a cheap pair or two from Walmart to use) and old tennis balls to dry my duvets and pillows and they work splendidly so guessing it’d work for felting)
Like idea of turning tube inside out.
Possible alternative if you don’t like halo: break out the ol’ reliable sweater shaver?
So glad Olive fig’d it out! Maybe her little hop is her way of retaining dignity and saying she is not an invalid and don’t forget it! That or her announcing that she will do what she will do when she is ready to. Can’t fault her for that!
I was same with my Apple while she was here. She got everything she wanted + everything I wanted to give her (which was my joy!) She was THE BOSS but I loved her like crazy – down to every last little quirk, how she made me laugh, and the almost perfect heart marking atop her head that especially entranced children, even those usually afraid of dogs. This one had that cool heart which meant love and loving. Worked every time!
PS. Love the rug. Maybe I’m a little cuckoo but I think skirt idea works! Looks great! (And I spent many years as fashion designer in NYC if that counts for anything)
Bet pattern would make great ruana, too (So. American cape- like garment) Friend gave me my first one for Christmas, and I am continually surprised at how much I use it- in and out of house and it’s really great dispelling the chill when I’m sitting knitting!
I’m not a steeker yet but it would basically be simple (I think) to knit large rectangle, felt, cut up middle of 1/2 and cut neckline. Then pick up edges and knit border. Easy-peasy.
(I think)
Hooray for Olive the Intrepid! I think it’s the promise of the ramp rug that did it!
For me, the brights really kick it up into high gear! I like contrast w/ all the mid-tones, and it just pops!
(Shows versatility of terrific pattern, colorwork. And great knitting!)