ByrdCall Studio
 
 
It is June 2017!  Hope you are happy and well.  Here's what's shakin' at Byrdcall Studio...

I know it seems like you just got a newsletter... that's because May's went out in the middle of the month, and now I'm trying to get back to the first of the month routine. Creating a monthly newsletter is therapeutic for me and basically sets my month plan and intentions.  Plus it gives you a little glimpse into life in and around the studio. Welcome... 

I n this issue: 
  • Get Free shipping of all my T-shirts listed in my etsy shop for the rest of June 2017
  • Registration underway for Common Ground on the Hill.  My rya class may still have room for you.
  • Rya Helpers step up across the USA. 
  • Byrdcall Studio now has FULL line of colors of both Rauma Ryegarn (rya yarn) and Prydvevgarn and so much more.
  • My Book Progress
  • Frequently asked Questions and...
  • How Did I get Started with Rya in the First Place?
  • DROP IN DAY and Rya Sewing Circle! 6/20/17
Prydvevgarn is a great textural addition in your rya projects...and a great way to add more colors.

 
 

June Only:  Free shipping of your Byrdcall T-shirt orders 
from my Etsy shop

(Pssst:  Find the secret password below.)

Well, Art in the Park survived without me last Saturday, in fact it was a wonderful art day in the park.  I was thrilled to be able to stroll and meet many artists I had never met before.  To the people who missed my T-shirt booth, here is a great option for you:

Go to my  Byrdcall Etsy Shop (Click here) and at your leisure peruse the available shirts.  Use the drop-down menu to see what sizes and colors are available, and put them in "your cart."  Type in the Discount Coupon Code: HAPPYJUNE and you will not be charged any postage. Sorry, only valid in the USA.

I am updating my etsy listings each day so they should be current.  Let me know if you are wishing for a shirt you don't see.  I am not taking orders, but as my small bins start to get sparse, I will print more shirts according to the general requests I have and I'll keep you posted through the newsletters.  (...Just got a general request for "The Woolie.")

Always feel free to drop in during my Open Studio days to buy a shirt off the shelves.  Next Open Studio is Tuesday June 20 noon - 6 PM.

 
 

Still Time to Register for my 
Rya Class at 
Common Ground on the Hill...

I understand that there is still some room in my class at Common Ground in July 3-7 in Westminster, Maryland. 

If you aren't familiar with the program, I recommend you click on this link
and watch the very interesting and informative 3 1/2 minute video.  

The class w ill be Monday - Friday from 9 - 11:45.  You won't co mplete your rya project, but you will be well on your way with full understanding of the technique and history!  

Here is a first rya project from a 6-hour class at Stitches United in Hartford Connecticut.

Cat rya by Grace Huntzinger

 
 

In case you missed this 
last month...  
I Need "Rya Helpers."
Most people can figure out how to get started on a rya rug kit miles from Byrdcall Studio without help, but gee, wouldn't it be nice to have a rya helper look over your shoulders for those first few minutes to say, "Yup, that's right.  Looks good."  Or "You might want to make those loops a little bit shorter."  Or "Uh-oh, what happened there?  Let's fix that booboo so the pattern holds together nicely."  Imagine how nice that would have been on your first rya!  Fewer would end up in a closet bin.

Last month I asked for you to step forward if you would be willing to let me connect you with someone who asks for a "local helper."  Five of you immediately said, "Count me in."  One person from each of the following regions: Seattle, Cape Cod, Central Florida, and near Syracuse, New York... oh, and Sweden!

I think we can do better.   I need to update my map pins, but I have a hunch we can find someone in all those areas where there are many tags on my map above.  Let me know if I can put you down.  Chances are, you might get one call a year, or on the other hand, you might want to organize a local rya knotting circle if you are so inclined.  I've been giving thought to ways I can help you out in that regard.  (Stay tuned.)

To qualify as a Rya Helper, you just have to be enthusiastic about making ryas, feel confident in your knot making, be a good problem solver, and enjoy people as they learn something new.  It would also be good if you have made at least one or two ryas in the past decade.  That's about it.  Are you IN?  What can you lose?  Honestly, I meet the most wonderful people--you are probably one of them.

If you wouldn't mind me referring a rya-artist-to-be to you for assistance, send me a short email saying so. I will add you to my list and not publicize your name or phone  number except to someone in your area, with your permission.  You can meet in a public place like a library or a coffee shop or at your or their home if you decide to go that way after you have gotten to know them a little on the phone. (These folks won't be scammers...they will have already bought a kit or supplies from me without any expectation of assistance beyond me.)

Like I said last month, I am only one person in mid-Maryland.  But you all are scattered all over the country and the world.  I'd love to share my joy of getting people started on their first ryas with YOU if you are interested. Just let me know.  

 
 

A Big Deal for Rya People
--Complete New Line from Norway--

Yes, it is worth raising a glass to my new inventory addition of all the 77 Prydvevgarn colors from Rauma in Norway.  Now not only do I carry all 82 colors of the Rauma Ryegarn (rya yarn), but I actually have them on hand for you in the studio and could mail you skeins tomorrow!

Prydvevgarn (pronounced Prid-vev-garn) means decorative weaving (vev) yarn (garn).  It is too thin to make a whole rya rug from, but it is wonderful to add as the 3rd or 3rd-and-4th strand to the needle of two ryegarn strands. Not only does it plump up the knot a tad, but can add a subtle color variation.  Everyone who uses it loves it.  It is the single added ingredient which take the "Price Group 1" to a "Price Group 2" in the Rauma Kits price list.

It costs $19.00 per 100 gram skein and has 300 meters in length which means a little will go a long way.  As a service to you and to make it easier on your pocketbook, I am happy to offer 1/4 skeins for $5.00 which will have about 50 strands of Prydvevgarn.  (The ryegarn has 60 strands in the whole 100 g skein and costs $16, so you can see what a good deal fortifying your yarn stash with miscellaneous colors of Prydvevgarn would be

In addition, I have all 82 of the Rauma Ryegarn colors. (Ryegarn=rya yarn)

You may have noticed I am leaning towards the Rauma yarns as my "go to" brand.  They are still made today from sustainable flocks of heritage breed Norwegian sheep.  I have reliable distributors here in the USA (The Yarn Guys) who do all the "importing" and speaking Norwegian as needed to the producers, and basically make my life easier.  The quality of the Rauma yarn is in my opinion the best I've ever seen, and it is a joy to work with the color spectra.


Yes, my grandparents' Lundgren Rya yarn (which I also offer) is very good, but where we used to have 91 colors, we are now down to less than 60, and no more is available when it is gone.  It is $10/skein.


I still offer the Asborya yarn from Sweden, but it is taking longer for shipments to arrive (months!) and I may be forced to cut my orders way back in the coming years. My price has increased, but I have not raised your price, so it is currently quite a buy at $13 per 100 gram skein. 


And yes, I still have the Swedish vintage Frostagarn which I bought a large close-out amount because I couldn't bear to see it go to auction where no one would know what it was.  It is $8 per skein 100g.   


The best way to see all these yarns and compare is to buy my Yarn Samples Package which also includes small backing pieces from all the backings I carry.

To get all the yarn samples I offer, check out my etsy listing which shows detailed photos of everything I will send you.   Click here.

 
 

So, what about the book?

glasses_on_book.jpg Since I last wrote (3 weeks ago) I have incorporated all the suggestions from Jenna and sent the Designing chapter off to the book producer.  Big step.  Now I am working on how to determine how much yarn to order for your design.  Basically it's written, I just need to revise so it is as easy as possible to understand.

I am looking for a few volunteers to step up and let me email you a chart I made that tells you how much yarn you get from every type of available rya yarn if you make a short, medium, or long pile....with various number of strands on the needle.  The chart was a challenge.  (I'm looking for Rya Geeks who can really scrutinize my work.)   Don't worry, I also have written ways for less-technical calculations of yarn needed.

I also need to confirm my write-up for all the rya suppliers in the world to make sure what I wrote a year or two ago is still valid!  Things are happening quickly in the rya world--good and bad.

I haven't forgotten you!

T H A N K    Y O U !

Rya Geeks email me at byrdcallstudio@gmail.com.

 
 

Frequently Asked Questions...

The most commonly asked questions are:  

Q:  What is the best way to reach you? vector_mobile_phone.jpg

A:  Email me at byrdcallstudio@gmail.com.  If you have my AOL email address, please switch to this gmail address because I will soon be shutting down the AOL account.  If you have a question too complicated to type as an email, then call me at 410-549-4889 and leave a message.  If I don't answer, I will call you back as soon as possible.  Please don't google-message me or facebook-message me because it's hard for me to keep track of all those messages.  

Q:  Where are you located and what are your hours?

A:  I work out of my studio located in my backyard in Woodbine, MD.  I do not have regular business hours, but I am more than happy to make appointments at the studio with anyone interested in what I have to offer. Give me a call at 410-549-4889 and leave me a message.  I'll get back to you quickly.

Drop in this month on Tuesday, June 20th between noon and 6 PM.  Please take advantage of those days when you do not need an appointment.

Q:  So how did you get into this whole rya rug thing? 

A:  The Carroll County Times printed a story about my beginnings the other day... Click here to read more.






Finding my Work
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.  These shirts are not listed on etsy, and the only way to buy one is to go to Eclecticity.  Tell Shawn "Melinda sent you."

Off Track Art in Westminster  I just d elivered some of my original block prints mounted on wood for a ready-to-hang piece of art--no framing required.  

The Market Tavern in Sykesville   Ask for my  Art Notecards in a Basket if you don't see them.  Have a beverage on me.  (Just kidding!)  Instead, write a note card to a loved friend while you sit by the window and sip a glass of something.
  
My Etsy Shop has just about everything for online buying.  When you buy through etsy, you allow me more free time to work on the book since written and verbal correspondence is minimal...Not that I don't love communicating with you, but that is my #1 time consumer in the day.


 
 

Rya Sewing Circle Invitation
and 
Drop In Studio Day!
Tuesday, June 20... noon - 6PM

OK, local rya rug makers, clear your calendars and join us in the studio to knot with your fellow knotters.  I think we can seat six of you, so please let me know you are coming.  

1103 Hoods Mill Road, Woodbine, MD

If you want to start a small kit, like a Fireflower, you can do that during this time.  

All past knotters welcome and new ones too.  (LM, DS, HG, DR, LM, MS... and Daisy, hope you can make it.) 

I will also be giving my Studio Work Angels many jobs to help me out, so it will be an active day!  Please let me know if you plan to attend--and about what time you'd be coming so I can be ready for you.

T hanks for sharing this time with me. Feel free to share this newsletter with anyone you like.

Welcome to Summer.  See you next month!

Cheers,
Melinda

 
 

Melinda Byrd

Byrdcall Studio
Woodbine, MD

410-549-4889


Save the Dates!

Open Studio
Drop-In Day and Rya Sewing Circle and 
Studio Helper Day June 20th 
from noon - 6 PM


Common Ground on the Hill
June 25 - July 7
See Write-Up
Sign up for 
my rya class!
 
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