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Byrdcall Studio, LLC

Rya Rug Revival

and Creative Arts

by Melinda Byrd

Visit Our Shop

Settling into Cooler Days

Greetings, Friends,

I know, you thought I had vanished, and yet out of the blue, a NEWSLETTER appears. I'll explain. I hope your summer was good for you. I have no complaints--and what good would it do anyway?

Pour yourself a cuppa something and join us for a few minutes to catch up on life in and around the studio. There is good news!

~ Melinda

In this Issue:

Why no newsletter for 3 months?
You've been waiting for BACKINGS!
A Trip down Memory Lane
A Video on Surface Knotting
Sharing with Others

Cat Rya by David McKenrick

See some interesting details David used in his design in the SHARING section of this newsletter.

My view as I look out the window as I write this newsletter.

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Melinda Byrd

Owner

Newsletter Archives

December-January 2022

November 2021

September-October 2021

July-August 2021

April-May 2021

March 2021

January-February 2021

Three Months Without a Newsletter? What up?

It's very possible that you didn't even notice I hadn't sent a newsletter since August so I should stop kicking myself for letting other things take over my life the way I did. But I'll offer a few excuses to beg forgiveness just in case.

I was waiting for "good news" about Rauma backings being available again for your kit or creation projects. But two months went by. When the backings started to roll in, I didn't want to tell you because I had about 20 people on the waiting list and wanted to give them first dibs before opening the floodgates for orders. Those orders took a lot of time. (If I missed you, let me know!)

In the absence of Rauma Norwegian backings, I stocked up on quite a nice collection of Finnish backings and Swedish backings. That's a good thing!

But it took weeks to rewrite all my Etsy listings and try to keep the website up-to-date. I had to rewrite kit instructions to go with the different types of backings that were available.

Another good excuse: I love my vegetable garden and this year it kept me busy with produce.

When friends stopped accepting my overabundance, I still had to make soup, sauces, blanch-and-freeze, dehydrate, and other time-consuming ways to prevent waste. (Oh, and we ate a lot of good food.)

When the garden calls, I have to respond.

I am not the master of my universe.

And another good excuse: Gypsy, our sweet dog is getting up there in years. (Aren't we all?)

When she asks for a walk, she gets a walk no matter what's on my to-do list. We are making more trips to our excellent vet than usual, but that's the way it is. No apologies there.

She's doing well and still does a joyous greyhound sprint through the yard every morning. Not bad for a 13 or 14 year old pup.

And finally . . . truth is . . . I spend too much time in front of this computer monitor and in the studio all by myself trying to meet Etsy deadlines.

Like Gypsy, I'm starting to realize the importance of taking the walk when the walk calls, and being free on a moment's notice to join a friend for lunch or a happy hour.

So for you my rya friends, I am still there for you, but I will be seeking a little more balance in my life in the coming years. Maybe I'll shoot for shorter newsletters--more often.

Win-Win!

The WORD on the Backings Situation

and Other Supplies

It's good.

As a re-cap: Midsummer I received backings of various widths between 10" and 20" wide from two excellent companies in Finland: Taito Pirkanmaa and Wetterhoff. I still have plenty--and now I have written instructions that will help you design and graph with these backings. Click to read write-ups in my Etsy Shop.

Wetterhoff wool and linen backing from Finland.

Taito Pirkanmaa wool and linen backing also from Finland.

Svensk Hemslöjd wool and cotton backing 24" (60 cm) wide.

Rauma from Norway wool and linen backing in various sizes.

In September-October I received 40 M of the 24" (60 cm) backing from Svensk Hemslöjd in Sweden. I am ready to hem it in any length you request. Sadly the USPS lost 20 M from the New York mail acceptance facility. It is still floating around somewhere "lost in space."

In October, I received Norway's Rauma Backings especially in the most requested sizes for the first time in about 2 years. I almost cried. I have reordered and received more, so I don't think it is a one-time shipment.

I have a bolt of 16" (40 cm) wool and linen backing. I can hem any length.

I have hemmed-and-ready-to-go 24" x 43" (60 x 110cm) backings.

I have hemmed-and-ready-to-go 31.5" x 47" (80 x 120 cm) backings

I have hemmed-and-ready-to-go 31.5" x 59" (80 x 150 cm) backings

No kits have been sent yet, but if I have the graphs, I can put your orders together. I have ordered the kits that I do not have the graphs for: #346 Langfloss, Markblomst by Weidemann, and Morgenstemning. Fingers crossed.

Yarn--All is Well:

Ryegarn from Rauma in Norway: No problem. I have about of 10 skeins per color. ($16/skein) Link to Ryegarn on Etsy

Prydvevgarn from Rauma in Norway: No problem. I have about of 10 skeins per color. ($19/skein) Link to Prydvevgarn on Etsy By the way, there are two listings for Prydvevgarn because they all didn't fit on one listing. Here's the other .

Lundgren Rya Yarn limited amounts of some colors, but basically I have plenty. This week I ran out of purple #57--gone forever. ($10/skein, but a few colors are on sale in Etsy shop--check it out.)

Rare vintage (mostly Swedish) rya yarn of miscellaneous colors are still quite full. Ask me about specific colors you are looking for. I sell the vintage for $10/skein. If you have my samples cards, you can ask "Do you have any vintage colors similar to Ryegarn #572?" We will both be on the same page.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

At the end of September, John and I headed to New England mainly for my 50th high school reunion. There were several family and friends visits along the way.

If you ever heard about my background with rug rug-making you probably know that I worked for my grandparents, Bill and Angie Lundgren in Northboro, MA between about 1978 and 1982. They lived in a beautiful house across the street from Ward Hill Ski Area. I lived with them in the upstairs bedroom for several months before getting my own apartment in the next town. In the evenings in the winter, we would use a spotting scope to follow random skiers down their paths on the ski slope. We played Othello. My grandmother played the organ.

As we passed by the exit to Northboro, I had to go back to see where "it all began" for me in the rya world. (We did not go up to the house.)

Lundgren, Inc. was in the basement of their home. They lived on the main floor. For a while, I lived on the second floor.

From the road, 540 W. Main Street, the first thing you saw was Grampa's barn. He worked as an inventor and engineer in the basement of the barn. I can still smell his cigar. (No, he didn't smoke near the rya rug yarn.) He was working on figuring out perpetual motion when he passed in 1982. He was getting close. The middle level of the barn was rented out to the Winning Kindergarten. The barn was always full of life. John and I had our wedding reception in the upper barn and danced to bluegrass music on the driveway. Things change and life goes on.

A Little Instructional Video on Surface Knotting

In case you missed the links to two fun videos in August, you can go to the Archives at the top of the page, or you can go to my website Byrdcallstudio.com and scroll down the About Us page to find lots of videos you might enjoy--or enjoy again.

Here is a new short video I made myself to help teach about knotting on the Finnish Taito Pirkanmaa backing. It should take away any fear of the unknown.

Surface Rya Knotting demonstrated on Finnish backing made by Taito Pirkanmaa Oy

Show & Tell ~ Sharing with Others

Since I last wrote to you, I completed my rya design, "Echinacea." Click on the Archives to see the last issue where I photo-documented the whole designing process. It was hanging in the Carroll Arts Center Members Show this Fall. I have the graph just about ready to sell with all supplies as a kit, but I haven't finished the details yet. The first one to ask for the kit will get me moving faster on my to-do list. It will just take a couple of days to finish up the graph for reproduction.

First, I took a photo of the magical purple coneflower (Echinacea) just because I love them and have them growing all around my yard.

And this is the finish rya. I made it on the white wool and linen 13" wide backing made by Taito Pirkanmaa. Ask for a kit if you like.

Rita Leydon

I'm happy to report that Rita's handwoven and hand-knotted rya (The Healer #2) won the People's Choice Award among her weaving peers.

Mette Kelley

50 years in progress, Mette shares the following:

The designer is IngerJohanne Schiøll. The Norwegian name of the pattern is Gevir, which means antler. My mother purchased for me in about 1970 from Husfliden in Oslo. I started it and when my daughter was born in 1971 I put it away. It has moved with me in my cedar chest for over 50 years. I finally finished it earlier this year. The size is 130 x 80 cm.

It’s been from Illinois to Alaska and now in Iowa.

Kathy Sparks

The Hand Maiden

Slippery Elm Shoot Farm and B & B

Unionville, IN

I expect we'll hear more from Kathy Sparks over the years. She is a multifaceted fiber artist. Here she is sharing a completed American rya kit developed at the end of the midcentury modern era. Pretty design. I haven't seen that backing before.

She is developing a workshop for 2024 weaving Rya on a table top warp weighted loom. She says things are "Still in the planning stages but the tabletop prototype of the student loom is complete and I'm going to warp and weave my class sample over the next few weeks. Location and dates TBA"

Good to know. Stay tuned.

Rebecca Hargreaves

Fanciful Rug Maker for Walls and Floors

at The Hargreaves Studio, Frederick MD

Rebecca had this rya in the works before the Barbie movie came out--I can attest to that.

She recently shared in the Facebook Rya Rug Friends Group saying, "YAY!!! I feel like I started this ages ago at Melinda’s studio. I got a little distracted making tufted rugs.

But here is my own design…perhaps I should name it.?"

I believe she used every shade of PINK I have in the studio and possibly others. What a fun, energetic piece.

Genny James Westminster, CO

Over the past year I have shared many of Genny's shots of her very large rya rug in progress. She designed and knotted this whole rya with great care to color placement and compatibility. Now it lies on the floor of her home brightening her days.

Have You Heard about my Book?

(A shameless promotion)

I still have lots of books to send out. I self-published so no one else is pushing them for me. Unless you do. And I thank you.

Do you know anyone who would enjoy this book? I would so appreciate your support of sharing my book with anyone who might enjoy it. If you know a shop that might like to carry a few books, I sell wholesale. Share with anyone who might appreciate the boost. Thank you. Click here.

And a Few Closing Words

Well, I must say it feels great to have finally released a newsletter. I know I just need to do a little less work on them and release them more often. That way I don't feel the stress of having too much to possibly write about in a day or two. That will be my intention from here on.

Once a month and I will not write a thesis!

Thanks for listening. You are great to read all the way to the end.

Let me know what I can do for you. My stress is never caused by you, but it is caused by too high expectations of myself. I just need to chill and go with the flow. Now I'll take you to the gardens. The gardens help me to unwind.

And this is what is left of the Echinacea flower that inspired my rya rug.

These little gnomes spend the whole year out on the stone wall. They look quite comfortable with the fall leaves and pine needles at their feet.

PO Box 162

Woodbine, MD 21797

410-615-2473