Inspiration
Welcome Back, Kiki Mariko!
Some things, while chronologically old, never get old. I am thinking, for example, of soft-serve ice cream cones with a crackly chocolate dip, go-go boots, and overstuffed duvets. See also raindrops, roses, whiskers, kittens.
Finished dimensions: approximately 30″ x 40″ (76.2 cm x 101.6 cm) after felting.
Add to this list: the Kiki Mariko Rug. It’s one of the best things we’ve ever knit. Its construction is a fun little brain teaser: it’s a tube that is knit in the round until it becomes long enough to serve as an agility training tunnel for a capybara.
The Kiki Mariko has a lot going for it. Novelty: it’s simple 2-color stranded knitting that works up fast because you use roving-like bulky yarn instead of thin strands of Shetland wool.
Adventure: in the form of a long steek that, once cut, opens the knitted tube into a flat rug.
But not too much adventure: you felt the whole thing in a washing machine before cutting the steek, so there is no need to secure the steek, and zero danger of unraveling when you cut.
And at the end of all that fun, the finished object is a splendid, cushy rug whose crayon colors have melded by felting into a sophisticated palette.
We loved the Kiki Mariko Rug in 2008, when we first published it in a collection of patterns that is now out of print.
We still love it today.
The crayon-bright shades felt into a lovely, subtle melange.
The pattern has been updated slightly. In recognition of the rise of the front-loading washing machine, the sample was felted in a front-loader—no muss, no fuss—and the instructions cover both front- and top-loading machines. We also made a tweak to the pattern to prevent the short ends from slightly ruffling, as some knitters had experienced with the original Kiki Mariko.
Your Kiki Mariko Options
For the MDK Holiday Shop, we’ve put together a Kiki Mariko Rug Kit that includes 10 colors of the original yarn, Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Bulky. The kit includes a digital download of the new-and-improved pattern. It’s perfect fireside knitting for the upcoming holiday season.
And listen, we weren’t born yesterday. We know that some of you out there have a stash of Lamb’s Pride Bulky that you acquired ages ago, maybe even for the original Kiki Mariko. We’ve got you: the Kiki Mariko Rug pattern is available on its own.
Allie Kat the greyhound for scale. She’s a long girl. photo by janet berka.
Our thanks to stalwart sample knitter Francie Owens, who has yet to face a knitting—or knitting, plus felting, plus steeking—deadline she could not beat.
No greyhounds or capybaras were harmed by the Kiki Mariko rug.
Oh, I’m so glad you mentioned there are changes to the pattern. I’m just about to start this rug based on the original pattern in your book, so now I’ll track down the new one for the improvements. Thanks for your many wonderful inspirations!
p.s. Just a note to those who, like me, own the original book (and therefor pattern) and are wondering if they should purchase the new version of the pattern: My advice is go for it! While the knitting changes are minor, to me the revised charts alone are worth it.
Go Go boots? You are putting the bar for happiness very high!!!
Love Go Go boots!! Ever since I first saw them on dancers (possibly Goldie Hawn) in a “Laugh-In” tv program, in the ‘60s, I’ve dreamt of finding my own pair of Go Go Boots. My happiness bar just Sky-rocketed!!!
I’ve thought about knitting this since the original pattern came out. Maybe this will be my year!
I bought the kit the moment the Holiday shop opened and I LOVE it. I’ve had to frog a bit because I was watching TV and my I forgot to zig. I’ve put it aside to finish up holiday knitting for friends, but my reward for knitting for others is to have this rug for myself. Honestly, I think I might put it on the wall to add a bit of color. . .
And thank you for expanding my knowledge of the animal kingdom, Kay. I had never heard of a capybara. MDK is constantly expanding my world.
Stay safe knitting friends!!
I seem to remember a very funny story about a certain someone who was trying to felt their original Kiki Mariko rug. Any chance of a reprint of that story? Just saying.
I linked to it in the Related Content below, if it’s the story I’m thinking of!
Oh how I love reading these “letters”! You and Ann inspire my knitting AND make me chuckle!
I will now Keep On Driving and Keep On Knitting even though I live in sub tropical Durban in South Africa. And now I need a Kiki Mariko rug …..
Glad that you kept on driving, Kay!
I knitted mine many years ago from worsted wool. However I knitted it flat, steek avoidance, well I have to tell you I never layed down the knitting just before a turn off direction of the pattern. The backwards thinking at times needed to know which way the pattern leans when knitting on the left side hurt my brain… The rug is used daily and when needed I toss it in the washer. I’m in my sixties and knit since 7 years old but never used a steek. Silly really since I knit all kinds of complicated patterns, double knit, I had to learn how to knit gloves in school 4thgrade…so yeah great pattern and a lot of fun as you choose colors and how they blend and play together and I am sure a lot easier to knit in the round.
I’ve been pouring over all of the finished rugs in Ravalry, and I am so intrigued! Here’s a question: is the one done by Gale Zucker this same colorway? I really love the gentle blend she got. Thanks!
I love everything about this. The crayon colors speak to my soul, but my house cries out for autumnal colors. So I will buy the pattern and go from there. Thank you for introducing me to the capybara. It is the second species of flora or fauna I learned about in 2020, the first being durian fruit. Probably won’t bring either into my home.
I discovered capybara last year at this time – in other words, a million years ago – on a brief jaunt to Buenos Aires where I purchased a pair of lovely, soft and stylish ankle boots made of capybara leather. They’re waterproof, as is the capybara, which is overpopulating the Pirana River in Argentina. (Your rug is splendid, by the way!)
Good heavens! I’ve known about capybaras since I was little, but I’d never heard of a durian fruit until today. Now I want to try one!
Thanks for clarifying the dog breed, I wasn’t sure if it was a whippet on a big doormat size rug or a greyhound on a fireside size rug :-D. Such a pretty pattern.
I’m sitting in the hospital without knitting and Covid positive but the second They release me from prison I know what I am going to do with all of those skeins of yarn that need a project. Thanks so much for the perfect idea ❤️
Prayers for your quick recovery.
Can this be made as a Runner . 8 Feet
LOL! You’ve got to be one of the few people outside the zoological world who knows what a capybara is! What a great project, I’m tempted to make it because, well, aside from the marvelous colors, felting is MAGICAL.
loved revisiting original rug posts!
LOL!!! Yes, at last count, nearly 150 beautiful skeins of Lamb’s Pride Bulky on my yarn room shelf. I adore Lamb’s Pride!! And yes, collected for years. I plan to start this happy pattern today! Thanks so much!
Is the updated pattern available on Ravelry?
I am just starting and I am finding the pattern confusing. Is there any notes to help get started on this? I am not sure of the stitch used.