MAY 18th, 2020 7:00 EST

Back in March we had scheduled this interview to be held on April 7th at a community auditorium. As everyone knows all public events had to be canceled to ensure minimal transmittal of the COVID-19 virus.  But this is even better because no matter where you live, if you have Facebook and can click on this link on Monday, May 18th at 7:00 PM, you can join in!  OR for those of you in other parts of the world where my 7 PM isn't your 7 PM, you can go to this link the next day or maybe for a long time and watch and learn.

Ted Zaleski is an excellent interviewer.  I have been to author interviews where he has come up with the most fascinating questions for authors.  I'm excited.  He and I will be talking face to face on Zoom. You all will be watching (if you choose to) on Facebook.  You can ask questions or hit emojis. The moderator will interject now and then with questions she sees, so feel free to chime in.  I've put together a little slide show and will click on nice images as the conversation moves forward.  Please join us because I know of no other time FOR SURE that I will be able to talk to a large group about this RYA thing.  

(NOTE:  My Common Ground on the Hill class will not be held this summer.)

I have had several requests over the past week like this:  "What kits do you have on hand right now?  I don't want to wait for one to be shipped from Norway."

One easy answer is to say " Look in my Etsy shop .  If it is listed there, I have it."

The other response I sometimes give is "Look at all of the Rauma catalogs on my website .  Write down the  ones you like and ask if I have them."

The second response is a little wishy washy, so until I find time to photograph all the kit components and list them on Etsy and on my website, here is a list of the kits or graphs I have bought that could become kits within a day or two.  No waiting.

I provide all kits with instructions in English, the first row started for you, a hand-made threading card to show you what all the color combinations look like, needles, backing, graph (or design drawn on the backing for a few designs) plus sometimes little notes for tips.

Rauma Designs Available as Kits Now

(I don't have all sizes for these, so ask. If they are not listed on Etsy, ask me for a price quote. Easy to do.)

Anemone

Acks

Balder

Brand

Barskog 140 x 200

Bork

Brygge

Briksdal

Bukett

Fiskelykke

Fjell

Gry

Flukt

Helg

Ild 

Kilde 60 x 110 or 140x200

Kirsebaertre

Kontrapunkt

Korn

Korona 80x150

Kroton  80x120

Kvadratspill 80x120

Leikarring

Linje

Malm

Mardøla

Markblomst -Jacob Weidemann

Markblomst (Not by Jacob Weidemann)

Moll 60x110

Monark 80x120

Morgenstemning

Mystikk

Mjord

Origo

Reinlav

Rosett

Skjold 80x150

Soldans

Sombreros

Sommerfugl 80x120

Tare

Tornerose

Tre

Trollryggen

Tulipan

Villrein

Viking

Vinter

Ok, I admit, that may seem a little far-fetched, but here is what I offer now--and always have made possible.

For my nearby rya pals and friends who want to make a rya... rather than wait until quarantining is over, why not ask me to prepare a kit for you?  You can stop by to pick it up while maintaining prescribed social distancing.

I helped 95% of those who buy my supplies without ever coming in physical contact with them.  Not just 6' away but sometime 600 miles away. I can prepare a kit for you with the first few knots made, and all you have to do is read the directions, pick up the needle and continue knotting. I can have your order sitting by the front door for you to pick up, I can mail to you, or I can set you up at an outdoor table where you can get started and I can wear a mask and check on your progress before you go home.  It's easy, and it will help you make valuable use of your time.

My friend, Melissa Kern Peters, recently shared that she has taken advantage to COVID-19 isolation by finishing the rya kit, Gry, she started a couple of years ago.  All she needed was time to relax.

George is sporting his new hand-printed Under the Palm

In an effort to have fun with you--my friends--during these difficult times, I decided a month ago to give away one of my hand-printed or silkscreened T-shirts in a drawing of names every Tuesday. I gather the names on my Byrdcall Studio Facebook page. I've given away four to date and it has been fun for me and the winners--hopefully everyone gets a smile from it.

There will be another drawing on Tuesday, May 19th and May 26.  So if your name isn't yet in the hat, it is not too late.

All you have to do is go to my Etsy shop and look at the T-shirt selection and pick one out.  It must exist because I am not making them any more. Be sure to click on the dropdown menu on the right side of the page to read what is actually available.  Then go to my Facebook page and tell me what shirt design, size, and colors you want.  If I pick you, I will mail you the shirt! Yay!

If you want one, now is a great time to order one.  I am more than happy to sign your copy and make a personal inscription if you request.  (I don't assume you want the inscription in case you are getting it as a gift for someone else.)  I've had GREAT success in sending within the USA with Media Mail. So happy for speedy and safe delivery.

To buy the Book, click here or here.

If you know a Book Store that might want to carry my books, or your library, please give them my contact info.

Finnish readers, know that Jenni Vanhanen is selling the books there which will save you lots of postage. Contact her at her Iltamaa.fi website.  Probably others in surrounding countries will do well to contact her.  I hope to keep her amply supplied in the coming years.

I'm hoping for a Swedish outlet soon (and it may be in the works!) and also in Norway.  I just lined up an account with courier DHL and they move things so fast!!

I've had mixed results from the postal service with International Shipping.  Sadly, it can take a very long time to travel, or it could be a week or so.  There is only one book (sent to Finland) that may not have reached the buyer yet. Let me know directly if you have not received an order.  Thanks. 

Since there is no Media Mail rate for international orders, check out my Etsy shop just for international orders in which the postage is quoted for the buyer according the the country to which it is being shipped. It will be promptly shipped.

The Book is hardbound with matte laminated cover. It has 298 pages with approximately 500 color photos. It weighs about 2.5 lbs. The price is $49.00. In it I have shared every morsel of my knowledge on designing and making your own rya rug, a little history, some good stories from across the globe, and all suppliers known to me at the time of publication. 

For those of you waiting for the release of the soft-cover book, I may be printing them in a month or so.

A Few New Comments Shared:

You are not going to believe some of the rya works happening around the world. Stay in-the-know all month long! I am loving this addition to our Rya Rug Revival. There is a lot of brilliance in this group...keep sharing.  I'll throw in my 2-cents on occasion.   ;-)  We have 233 members now!

If you are intrigued by making REAL rya rugs, the only good reason NOT to join is if you are not a Facebook person.  If you are a member of Facebook (even if you never use Facebook) you can request to join this Group.  If you subscribe to my newsletter, you definitely should check this out.