When does something become a tradition? A few years back, we were inspired by Mary Jane Mucklestone’s Stopover sweater—so named because a focused knitter can whip it up over a long weekend—to send out the call to bang out a pullover, start to finish, in the shortest month of the year.
This year, the tradition will continue, with a new twist. Our mission, and we do choose to accept it, is to bang out . . . a Kiki Mariko Rug!
This pattern, a new-and-improved gem from the archives, has everything we need to be able to bang it out:
Honest-to-goodness quickness. The Kiki Mariko Rug (in the spirit of swiftness, we may need to abbreviate that as KMR) is knit up using a thick yarn, Lamb’s Pride Bulky, on U.S. 15 (10 mm) needles. It’s just not that many stitches to the rug of your dreams.
A simple stitch pattern to speed you along. You know how some colorwork patterns actually go faster than plain stockinette? (It’s science!) You will memorize this two-color geometric pattern in the first few rounds of knitting. It flies, while the swapping-in and swapping-out of colors keeps you entertained.
The return of a favorite technique. We haven’t felted our knitting in years! We’re going to be excited to get to the end of the knitting, and then throw a huge tube of colorful knitting into the washing machine. The pattern has been updated for the age of the front-loading washing machine. Our sample knitter felted the sample in a front-loader. (Fingers crossed that I’ll be felting my giant tube of colorfulness in the same top-loader I used to felt my first Kiki Mariko, back in 2005.)
The thrill of a steek. And this is no ordinary steek: the scissors come out only after the piece is safely felted. It’s a steek for everybody, including the lifelong steek-avoiders.
A truly beautiful FO. The Kiki Mariko Rug is a fan favorite of the home-dec category of knitting. Take a look at the project gallery over at Ravelry: it always looks good, and the firm ‘n’ cozy felted texture gets raves.
We’ve got kits! For our 2020 holiday shop, we launched a Kiki Mariko Rug Kit that sold out almost immediately. We got on the horn to our friends at Brown Sheep Yarn Co., and they came through with a restock of Kiki Mariko Rug Kits, in the colorway used for the photography samples, which we’re calling Original, and in two new combos: Heather and Blue. The kit includes a PDF download of the pattern, so you’ll be ready to go on February 1. If you want to join us but are all set on yarn, the pattern is offered in the MDK Shop and also on Ravelry.
Original
Heather. Allison is working on a sample of this colorway, so stay tuned.
Blue! Sample forthcoming, but it might be a week or two.
The pattern has been updated to include charts for all three kit colorways.
All Are Welcome
MDK is an ever-expanding tent of knitting love that is open to all knitters, every day of the year.
An MDK knitalong is a great place to jump in and have a great time, yakking away and making new friends.
If you want to knit a glorious felted rug, in good company, but don’t think you have a hope in heck of finishing in 29 days . . .
If you can’t start on February 1, so you think it’s impossible . . .
If you want to use a different yarn . . .
If you know the basics of knitting, but you are not sure you can really knit a project this big . . .
If you’re nervous about felting, steeking, or anything else about this project . . .
If you’re not on Instagram . . .
If you just want to knit quietly on your own and read along . . .
. . . we welcome you.
“February” Is a Flexible Concept
We talk a good game about banging it out, but knitting is never really about speed. It’s about fun.
This will be our sixth February bang-it-out knitalong. While we know the Kiki Mariko Rug is achievable in 28 days, we also know that the fun is in the trying, and the glory is in finishing—in your own time and on your own terms.
It’s a delight to see projects that were started in long-ago Februaries, whenever they pop up on the #bangoutasweater hashtag, or in real life. If you’ve wanted to make a Kiki Mariko Rug (we know of at least one that was started in 2008 and has been aging and ripening as a WIP since then)—you will have a great time working on it in the company of other knitters.
Ask Allie Kat: a dense, woolly rug feels good underpaw.
Sharing and Caring Ahead
Where can you share your pictures and ask your questions?
Two main places:
- The MDK Lounge, in the thread “Bang Out a Kiki Mariko Rug.” This is typically a very lively place, where you’ll get help when you need it and enthusiastic likes when you post photos of your progress.
- Instagram, where we will use the hashtags #bangoutakikimariko and #MDKbangoutasweater2021.
There Will Be Prizes
We’ve got goodies in store! Stay tuned for details.
Get ready: It’s going to be a great February!
All right! I started a KMR last month, then put it on pause for a Flock of Four scarf – now this inspires me to finish the KMR. Perfect – and it is great fun to knit, only took me a while to get used to those huge needles. Excellent yarn, too.
I bought the pattern this weekend and am a little confused about the beginning directions so I am hoping to get some clarity once it officially starts.
Me too! I’m counting on the lounge for help. I ordered the blue colorway and am very excited! I have done some of the other “bang out” projects but have never actually started in February – I’m really looking forward to it!
I love that pattern, but unfortunately if I knit anything on size 15 needles I wouldn’t be able to pick up my coffee mug for a week. I rarely use any needle over a 7. Oddly enough, I know people who can’t use anything UNDER a size 7. I guess it just depends on ones particular hand function.
But my secret idea that has been marinating for a while is to take that pattern and turn it into a swingy jacket thing in a nice sport weight….
That sounds like it would be pretty!
I have your books with the original pattern. Do I need to buy the new and improved one?
Go for it! I’ve done a pullover and a cowl using fingering weight yarn with the Kiki Mariko stitch pattern–I’ll post about it before long. It may be my favorite stranded stitch pattern of all time: it looks wonderful no matter what colors you use. It’s just amazing!
Ann, please do post about that. I’ve always loved the look of Kiki Mariko, but I don’t want a rug. Was thinking of doing it as a tote bag, but using a lighter yarn and making a pullover or cowl sounds better. Or even a hat.
Size 15 circular needle. Thirty inches?
Excited to have a project–that has been on my list–a “deadline” and a “team.” Because sometimes I need structure.
Bought the yarn when it came up in the holiday shop, but did not start. I love the other colors and wish I had waited to get one of those. But I am in just need to get those HUGE needles.
Can you list the colors in the Heather colorway? Your shop does not have the Heather kit available for sale, so I would need to order the yarn elsewhere.
You knew I picked up a KMR kit from the MDK shop last month, didn’t you? You really want me to knit up these kits I buy, instead of sitting on them until the end of time, don’t you?
Just wondering the approximate finished size of the rug?
Will the Heather colorway be available for purchase at a future date?
I am looking forward to this KAL – my very first! As the ever eager beaver, I’d like to get some understanding before hand, if possible. Can someone please tell me how and why we start with the brown from the center and the outside, even though we’re not changing color? And HOW to do it would be most helpful. Thanks!
I am also looking forward to a good description of the start, I have had the book and the yarn for this since the book came out! I have heard that there are new instructions for the edge.
This project really spoke to me, it has been on my ‘toknit’ list for too long and I would be doing it in community with other knitters in these scary times.
I think I remember reading (on one of the holiday posts, maybe?) that they figured out that knitting the one-color ends as stranded colorwork without a color change helped them stay flat – instead of ruffling up like Kay’s did when she made her first one.
Requesting a post on the variety of edge treatments as well as underlay… On my horrible wonderful hardwood floors, I don’t think a simple small slice of that rug mat stuff will cut it.
Yay. This is just the spark I needed to finish this up. My husband gave me a kit for Christmas. I started it feeling completely odd on the large needles but it’s been sitting in a basket looking stunning since New Years . Can’t wait to get going again
I did my “bangout” after the last Christmas thing was sent away. It was great fun and easy to memorize. Haven’t decided if it’s a throw or a rug, so it hasn’t met the washer yet. Maybe I am just chicken to scissor up a piece of knitting… Nice to not be using teeny tiny sock needles! Only question is why that huge 10 stitch steek?
The KMR spoke to me the minute the Holiday shop opened and ordered the kit. I am really looking forward to seeing the other colorways knit up. I started my rug, but put it on hold to do Christmas stuff and a special project a friend asked me to do. Really looking forward to getting it back out and finishing it up.
I would love to make this, but I’m allergic to mohair. Would you have a kit with just wool?
I can’t wait to start. One question, though: I’m assuming that the second steek row is all checkerboard, not 5 stitches of the same color like the first row. Am I correct?
That first bangoutasweater enticed me to knit TWO Stopovers! How many Kiki Marikos does this mean for me? I love that heather colorway, but don’t see it in the shop…sold out? coming soon? Do tell!
I need help / advice / encouragement. Although I’ve now been knitting for ~ 20 years (in addition to the knitting I did as a kid) I’ve only made two stranded projects (the 2nd was the Stopover pattern from the first Bang out!) and – I don’t like stranded work. I haven’t done enough to get past the awkwardness of it. Every day I see evidence a zillion people able to do it successfully, so it would seem logical, that I can get the hang of it too. Do you, does anyone, have a recommendation for the best resource from which to learn? I know there are many – but I’m taking suggestions! Help! This is lovely and I’d like to hop on it!
Tamara, on Craftsy Mary Jane Mucklestone has two classes, a cowl and vest. I started with the cowl since its small to see if I’d like it and I’ll be doing the vest next. Mary Jane is an excellent teacher, her instructions for holding the yarn are the best, it does take some practice. The videos are step by step and well done. Good luck! You can do it!
This pattern immediately got my attention and loved the idea of a rug. I was very excited and bought the pattern straight away and studied it to see if I could manage the charts. Got the yarn from LYS as I wanted different colorways. Looking forward to getting started. Is it cheating to cast on before Feb 1st? I hope my hands hold up.
I am in!!!!! I am going to use just four colors – black, red, charcoal gray, and cream. I’ve already created a new chart and am waiting for my yarn. Bring it on!!!!!
Sorry….silly question maybe…..but how do I get to the “MDK Lounge”?
This project was the AH HA! moment for yarn I bought at a farm near Oaxaca Mexico 4 years ago; they made gorgeous rugs. I have 4 colors, so I recreated the design on MS Excel. Ready to get going!
I have my pattern, I have my yarn, I won’t be there till 5:30 eastern because I have yoga!
Ooh! I have some pushing vintage lamb’s pride that I wasn’t remotely sure what to do with.
There’s no way I need another project this season, but I may just have to.
I do kind of loathe larger needles, but…
Yeah, this is going to wind up happening.
Spent hours this morning going through my stash of wool yarn for felting. Good excuse to sort it into Worsted, Bulky and Super Bulky weights. Found the 8 colors (9 skeins) called for with the old pattern in the book, but noticed that your kits have 10 colors. I think I’ll be fine using the old pattern. I’ve never done anything like this, so I’m very excited. It was hard to put all the yarn away today and sign up for the group cast-on Zoom meeting on Monday.
Bought the pattern which I love. But no access to Brown Sheep in Uk Any ideas on substitutes. Everything I find is low or out of stock or a bit too fine/thick
Hi Christine,
I sympathize on the difficulty of finding a good match for Lamb’s Pride Bulky. The good news is that this is a very flexible pattern if the knitter is open to a bit of imprecision.
As long as you approach a chunky/bulky weight, whether in a single strand or by double-stranding, and the wool is feltable, you will get a good result.
You may not hit the exact finished measurements we give, so if that is important to you, some diligent swatching and felting of the swatch would be required. But if you are going to be happy with a rug of reasonable size, you can use a lot of different wools to get there.
Just steer clear of superwash! (For example, Rowan Big Wool is not labeled as superwash but we are informed that it is indeed treated not to shrink or felt.)
Kay
Sorry to bother you, but I have a question about the pattern. Am loving knitting this up, except for the 10-stitch section between the markers. The pattern says it should look like a checkerboard, but to be sure the colors at the beginning and end of the 10 stitches are the same as the before/after stitches. I am sure I have interpreted this incorrectly, but when my stitch colors match the before/after stitches, it often messes up the checkerboard. So,my 10-stitch section looks a mess. Any help/advice would be most welcome. Thank you.