Suffice it so say I had an amazing 5 days at the Connecticut Convention Center with thousand(s) of people who really know yarn.  But 99% of them did not know RYA YARN and the rya rug-making craft.  So I was there on a mission to educate and excite people about this midcentury modern phenomenon celebrating the art going back to the days of the Vikings in the Scandinavia. I was a guest of The Yarn Guys who are my suppliers of Rauma ryegarn (rya yarn), backings, and kits from Norway.  

I taught  a 6-hour class in rya design and technique to 9 eager and creative students.  They will be sending photos of their completed projects soon.  Last week I posted an "Open Letter" blog for you and my class.   Click here to get the inside story and get the first peek at the complete or nearly complete ryas made by the class.

Moo Dog Knits Magazine shared this immediately after the  con ference. Take a look!

Special Thanks to my sister, Laurie LaConte for joining me in Hartford to assist in the classes as well as demonstrate in the exhibit hall booth.

For those of you who "do Facebook" you can see 55 more photos of the Conference, Exhibit booths, class photos, a fashion show, and more by clicking here.  Then scroll down to the May 4th posting.  Go ahead and "Like" my Byrdcall Studio Facebook page for updates more regular than my newsletter.

I started this one on the road to Connecticut. (No, my husband was driving.)  At least 50 people at the conference learned how to make the rya knots on this demonstration rya.  Now it is complete and offered as one of five color choices through my etsy shop. All natural grays.  (Just like me!)   Check out the listing on etsy and see the other colors.

I declared a year or two ago that I was gradually phasing out the printing of my woodcut and linocut shirts because my path was leading me tow ards the revival of the rya craft.  An d that was, and is, true.

So why did I have   a booth at the Sykesville Art & Wine Festival last weekend?  Simple.  I still have more shirts that need homes, I love Sykesville ( "The Coolest Small Town in America"),  I love wine, and I love art, so it was a good fit.  And I had a good time.  

My good friend, Barb Easter, shared her whole day with me making my work easy.  I loved seeing you all there.  I might even do a Farmers' Market booth or two this summer to keep those shirts moving.

So, the low down on the shirts is, I still have many.  My goal is to "move" all the silkscreened shirts through shows and my etsy shop to free up the bins in my studio that could be holding skeins of yarn.  And I will maintain a small supply of the hand-printed shirts so I always have a small bin (about 15 shirts) in every size for men and women.  If you need shirts for gifts, "personal use," or whatever, just email me and we can set up an appointment when you can swing by my studio to gather shirts at will.  If you are in the Westminster area,  Eclecticity is now carrying many of my most popular shirts.

I'm not going to promote them much so I can focus on finishing my book... and then take the next step for keeping the rya craft alive.  (?)  Keep an eye out for my Open Studio Days where drop-ins are welcome.  Next Drop-In day is Wednesday, May 24 from noon - 6 PM.

Eclecticity

at 15 E. Main St., Westminster, MD now carries my Unity shirts.  This month, they are also offering a random color and size selection in:  Listening, 3 Crows, Waste Not, and Thoreau/Simplify.

Happy Spring!  See you next month!

Momma Bluebird feeding her babies in the old hollow holly tree outside the studio