Stitched with Intention:

Building Kani Kettu

Kani Kettu, a modern yarn shop with a fresh take on creativity, began taking shape in 2021, when Edgar Vargas-Castañeda ’15 and his wife, Rebecca, welcomed their second child. Rebecca, who had earned her master’s in accountancy from the University of Houston and launched her career at Grant Thornton, wanted a change of pace from audit after the birth of their second child, and at the same time Edgar realized his new role allowed him the opportunity to test the entrepreneurship waters.

“We already had some early ventures into entrepreneurship that were not as successful as we would have liked but gave us some confidence going forward. So we took a step back and asked ourselves what we really wanted for our family,” Edgar said. “We decided to start a business not just as an investment in our strengths, but as a way to show our kids what it took to start and run a business.”

Since Rebecca would run the day-to-day, Edgar wanted the venture to center around something she loved. “She’s been knitting off and on for eight years, all self-taught from YouTube and online articles, but she got really strong during business school,” Edgar said.

On his work trips, Edgar would hunt down unique yarns across the Northeast and Europe; quality fibers they couldn’t find locally. “I kept finding these amazing brands we either couldn’t get here in Houston or that took forever to arrive,” he said. “Crafts are on the rise. Everybody’s getting into a hobby, but the various craft shops were woefully unprepared for the boom during COVID. We thought, there has to be a better way to both service the crafting community while delivering the level of customer service that we have all gotten used to by global vendors like Amazon and Apple.”

The idea crystallized one Saturday night over a long strategy session at a wine bar. “We talked through where we wanted to focus, which brands we wanted to carry and who our ideal customer would be,” Edgar said.

From the beginning, they envisioned more than a business. They wanted a different kind of space, one that welcomed younger, more diverse, more fashion-forward makers and offered a modern, e-commerce-driven experience not typically found at craft shops. “We wanted a third place where people who loved fiber arts could feel at home,” Edgar said.

Bringing that vision to life wasn't easy. “It was a lot of blood, sweat and tears,” Edgar said. “Neither one of us grew up with entrepreneur parents — hers were former military and mine were blue-collar immigrants.” While both worked full-time, they searched for a space that matched what they hoped to build.

To navigate the learning curve, they sought guidance. “Through the Roundtable, I was introduced to — and hired — a business coach who helped me adjust my thinking to one of a business owner,” Edgar said, referring to the Rice entrepreneurship roundtable program (RAEI), where he found a community of like-minded business owners facing similar challenges. “Being part of this group was instrumental. Having other people going through the same growth pains felt reassuring and motivating. It helped us overcome early obstacles and opened doors.”

Edgar first encountered the Roundtables while earning his MBA at Rice. “When we moved to Texas, the plan was for me to get my MBA at UT,” he said. “I had already taken the GMAT. Then I made the ‘mistake’ of walking onto the Rice campus: it was a beautiful environment for learning. I discovered that Rice had an MBA program which would let me work full time. It prepared me incredibly well for my career and set the stage for everything I’ve done since.”

Earning his MBA allowed Edgar to apply his engineering background and natural problem-solving abilities across multiple domains. “I’d always wanted to be an engineer and was very technical, and now I was shifting into more of a finance and strategy world,” he said. “It was a great learning experience and validated my ability to move beyond engineering and understand entrepreneurship.”

The Rice program also gave him practical tools. “I learned how to create a business plan from scratch and built the toolkit I’d need if I ever wanted to start a business,” he said. “We were taught to evaluate companies and their management diligently. Most importantly, I met people who were entrepreneurship-minded. I learned from their perspectives and experiences, both good and bad.”

Today, Edgar is channeling these lessons into a realized vision for his business. “We focus heavily on natural fibers; we think they’re instrumental for making a good garment,” Edgar said. “We’re known for our products with minimal processing, primarily from Denmark, and even have some wool from free-range sheep roaming the Icelandic wildland. My wife is very intentional about sourcing from vendors who care about the process and the product.”

Kani Kettu also offers tools, classes and a creative community. “We have both private and general classes and not just in fiber arts,” he said. “We recently hosted a candle-making class from a local craft influencer. We've also begun selling goods from local makers, including enamel pins, watercolor artwork, and candles and soaps from Rice MBA grad Angela Lawrence ’24 (The Design Bar HTX), a member of the RAEI Roundtable.”

The shop has quickly become a creative haven and thanks to its place in the Rice Alumni Benefits Program, Owls can enjoy 15% off any order using the code found in the Rice Portal. This fall, the shop even brought alumni and friends together for a cozy Hoots and Hobbies gathering, where attendees stitched their very own crochet owls.

And the future holds more in store for Kani Kettu, whose name means “rabbit and fox” in Finnish. “We want to expand our in-shop experience and our makers’ market,” Edgar said. “We also want to add a European-style café with coffees and teas designed to be enjoyed. A place where you can have a coffee and work on a painting, your knitting or a good book. A café for people to come in and create in a world that is so focused on productivity and work.” Or, as the Danes call it, the pursuit of hygge.

Kani Kettu is just one of many partners offering special perks to Rice alumni. Discover more benefits available to you through the Rice Alumni Benefits Program.