a96d4033-3066-41a9-8126-fd888ed27418 image

Byrdcall Studio, LLC


Rya Rug Revival

and Creative Arts

by Melinda Byrd

Visit Our Website Shop

Greetings from Byrdcall Studio

new_years_fireworks.jpg

Cheers, Friends!

How are you all doing? Hopefully everyone has survived the holidays and is looking forward to a NEW year full of possibilities. I am.


I apologize for taking so long to get a winter newsletter out to you. I could say that I have been terribly busy, but in fact I just needed a little time to myself and my other joys in life. I've been experimenting with making sourdough bread in dozens of ways. Gee, that is fun, and delicious!


Being a New England girl makes me giddy with excitement as a snowstorm is barreling its way eastward, soon to hit Maryland. It's not so much fun if you have to drive some place, but I don't have to go anywhere for a few days. Maybe I'll design a new rya rug and knot by the fire until the roads are safe.


Lucky for me, Byrdcall Studio is a 30-second stroll from my back door. Lucky for YOU, anything in the studio could be a short stroll to your mailbox.


Fill your mug, sit down, and enjoy. There is something for everyone here. I even have a short how-to video for you.


Relax and come along for the ride.

~ Melinda


snowplow_big.jpg

In this Issue:


  • Rya Supplies! The Good News and the Bad News
  • Rya Kits ready to go
  • Open Studio: Jan. 25, 10 AM-3:00 PM.
  • Greeting and Holiday Cards Available
  • A Video for your Rya learning path
  • Show and Tell Time: Great Sharings!
  • Teaching weeklong Rya class at Common Ground on the Hill 2025
  • And closing comments


Note: Be aware that your email may only open the first 1/3 of this newsletter. It might say "click if you want to see the whole newsletter." Click, so you don't miss anything.

c6473b40-a0a4-463c-942a-6012d25260d9 image

Melinda Byrd

Owner

Save the Date!


Open Studio and Rya Sewing Circle

Woodbine, MD

Jan. 25th 10 - 3:00

Ask me questions

Work on your rya projects

25% off Artsy T-shirts, Cards, books, Framed art

Newsletter

Archives

Oct-November 2024

September 2024

August 2024

June-July 2024

May 2024

March 2024

New Year 2024


November 2023

Late Summer 2023

May-June 2023

Late Winter '23


Holiday Season '22

Fall 2022

Summer 2022

Spring 2022

Feb-March 2022

December-January 2022


November 2021

September-October 2021

July-August 2021

April-May 2021

March 2021

January-February 2021


November 2020

September 2020

August 2020

June-July 2020

May 2020

April 2020

Feb-March 2020

January 2020


December 2019

Oct. - Nov. 2019

September 2019

July - August 2019

May - June 2019

March-April 2019

Jan.-February 2019


Nov-December 2018

Sept-October '18  

July-August 2018

June 2018

May 2018

April 2018

March 2018

Jan.-February 2018


December 2017

November 2017

October 2017

September 2017

August 2017

July 2017

June 2017

May 2017

April 2017

FebruaryMarch 2017

January 2017

Supply Update

~ Good News and Bad News ~

Generally, I am pleased with my inventory. I have on hand most of what people are asking for. That's good.


But the other day when I received a smaller-than-requested order for Rauma yarns from Norway, I learned that they are all out of 75% of their colors. The good news is I still have 97% of my normally stocked colors. Clearly my supply will diminish somewhat as the weeks and months go by. But we will eventually be fully stocked in time.

Norwegian Spaelsau sheep are the heritage breed sheep whose fleece is used to make both Ryegarn (rya yarn) and Prydvevgarn. There are a limited number of this breed and a limited amount of wool is available each year. So at the end of the year, sometimes they run out until the new wool can be prepared, spun, and dyed. Photo credit to Wikipedia

If you want or need anything,

check with me--I probably have it.


If it is listed in my Etsy shop, I have it on hand.


I am well-stocked with all colors of Rauma Ryegarn and Prydvevgarn (except for three colors)


I have woven backings from Rauma in Norway, and Wetterhoff and Taito Pirkanmaa in Finland.


I still have 34 of the Lundgren Rya yarn colors in stock many at reduced prices in the Etsy shop. I recently selected 6 colors of the Lundgren yarn which I have oodles of skeins of and marked them down to $7/skein. Click here to learn about those colors.


Click here Etsy Shop Link for full samples package.


If you just want one type of yarn samples card, you can order them individually at this Etsy Link.


So hopefully late winter or early spring, I will see José's smiling face as he delivers a shipment of yarn and backing to Byrdcall Studio.


In the meantime, assume I have what you want and just ask me. Remember I can invoice you directly for whatever you need. If you order through Etsy, you'll get the same service (but sales tax will be added by Etsy). Just sayin'.

One more thing. . . .



I am so appreciative of our rya rug making community. I had a customer who needed just 17 strands more of a dark green to complete her rya project. But I was out with no more coming soon. So I made a request of the members of our Facebook Rya Rug Friends Group and several people stepped up to offer their excess from previous kits they had made.


Faith M. inventoried all her rya yarn stash and sent me a list in case it will help someone out.


Melissa P. packed up and mailed me all her stash--the extra yarn from three Rauma kits she has made over the past several years. She said use all of it as I see fit.

The only requirements I have regarding accepting donated yarn is that it has been untouched by cats and from a smoke-free environment. (I have nothing against cats, but people with cat allergies can't use the yarn if a cat has been playing in it.


Thank you, friends.

Update on the Rauma Sample cards


Now that I know Rauma is out of 75% of their colors, it does make sense that they wait until the yarn is spun and dyed before making new sample cards. I mean what if the dye lots were not exactly the same, they would be perpetuating an inaccuracy. But that means every single color will have to be dyed before they can make any sample cards. *sigh* (about 165 colors total)


On the last Open Studio Day, my friend and former student, Forrest, helped me make Rauma sample cards. Samples are available if you've been holding off buying them thinking they were not.


Check out the Etsy listing

Here are a few Kits Ready-to-Mail or to be Picked up:


I did this in the last newsletter and sold three of the kits that were prepared and looking for a home. Here are a few possibilities for you to look at and consider.

I always add the Byrdcall special touch of translation and starting the kits for you to get you going on the right foot. ... so if you want one, now is a good time to order one.


Leikarring ($540)


This is such a happy and colorful rya kit. I have all the yarn and backings needed to put this together for you as a kit.


It is 31" x 47"


Feel the love as you knot this energetic design. It will not be boring because the definite shapes will give you something to strive for with every row you complete.


Read more here.

Fireflower in Blue-Greens

$170 or 176.00

Fireflower in Rusts

$170 or 176.00

The Fireflower Kits 16" x 16"

The Fireflower kits come in several color choices. On hand at the moment I have blue-greens, Rusts, and reds-purples.


You have the choice of two different backings with the Fireflower kit: Norwegian or Finnish. The end result will be the same size. Both a very high quality woven wool and linen backings. Read the Etsy write-up for details.


Anemone ($386) 24" x 43"

designed by T. Kosonen-Buvik


This photo of Anemone was submitted by Chelsea L. from British Columbia, CA. She made it a year ago. Nice work, Chelsea, and a great photo.


Like all the kits I sell, the Kit includes everything you need:

  • Needles
  • Ruler (kavel) for keep loop length consistent
  • Hemmed woven backing of wool and linen
  • Yarn required plus a little extra for wiggle room
  • graph
  • color threading card prepared by me
  • Instructions translated from Norwegian

Crow Weave ($310.)

The colors in this kit are strong and bold! Whether you are a crow friend (like me) or just like the design, this is a great rya to start with. You follow a graph, but much of the design is horizontal making it easy to knot across the rows without the challenge of changing colors a lot.


This kit uses two strands of the heavier rya yarn and an additional thinner strand (or two) of prydvevgarn (yarn made from the same heritage sheep) but thinner for variety in texture.



16" wide x 30" long

Open Studio ~ Drop In Day~ Sewing Circle

Sat., Jan. 25th from 10 am - 3:00 pm

Stop by the Studio for lots of reasons!


This is an invitation for anyone who is in the area and wants connection with rya folks, supplies, guidance, or to do some shopping. RSVP if you plan to work on a rya project so I can save you a seat.


  • See the work space where it all happens.
  • Pick up a T-shirt or two
  • Bring a rya in progress and knot a few rows with buddies
  • Come pick up your new Cardinal Cheer Greeting cards. See below!
  • Select a backing and some yarn for your next rya project
  • Pick up a ready-made kit (Let me know in advance so I have time to get it ready for you.)
  • See the little-known artsy items I have all over the studio that no one ever sees but I would love to watch you discover!
  • Pick up a rya backing strip, some yarn, a needle, and make a decorative rya dog collar. $25 and I'll personally help you get started.



Studio is located at 1103 Hoods Mill Rd, Woodbine, MD 21797

If it is a freezing, windy day, the Studio stove's pilot light can go out repeatedly making it a very COLD studio. Call, text, or email if in doubt. (No Carbon Monoxide risk.)


New Offering!


Would you like to order blank Greeting Cards

with my original cardinal linocut design?


or

You can be prepared for the Holidays 2025 and order cards with the holiday message


This is what happens when you are busy making sourdough bread and getting together with friends and fail to get a newsletter out. You miss the boat for selling holiday cards BEFORE the holidays. But I'm not ashamed to sell them after the holidays or wait until next year.


You can order them from my website HERE.

Or you can order them from my Etsy Shop HERE.

Get a box of blank cards to use as Birthday cards, Get Well cards, "Cheer up" cards...

Or order the cards with a peaceful holiday message.

I designed and carved this image last fall. Then this fall had my local printer print many for me to sell.

The text on the card reads as shown here.


You can pack a couple of boxes away with your Christmas things, then feel oh so ahead of the game next fall. Blank cards are also an option.

Read more about them and feel free to order.


Box of 8 or box of 10. Your choice.

Show & Tell ~ Sharing with Others

And now! What you've all been waiting for

 . . . a little rya lesson


Every now and then, I get this burning desire to explain something to someone. I talk to myself and sometime out loud explain things to no one in the room. But my husband was passing by, and I said, "Hey, would you mind videoing me explaining something?" He said, "Sure, just tell me what to do." This 4:40 minute video is the result. Forgive the imperfections, but if you are interested in how to figure out how much yarn you need to make your rya rug, this is a good primer. I use p. 177 in my book, which I often do. If you don't have the book, you could really gain a lot of knowledge from it...and frankly, I want to sell them all. ;-) Enjoy the video. Ask me to cover another subject for you for the next newsletter. ~ Melinda


David McKenrick

Cincinnati, OH


When you routinely think out-of the-box as David does, you might come up with something totally new like mixing your love of rya with your love of woodworking. Add a fun design by Charley Harper and you have quite a challenge!


This is what David did, in his own words:


"I had a very small image to work with so I went to a Fed Ex/Kinko store to have it enlarged. I was going to use it to transfer to the backing. That led to a problem. The woodpeckers stripes would not all be equal if I used the paper enlargement. I needed to make adjustments to get the stripes of equal width and keep the angles somewhat correct. Once I was satisfied I made plywood templates to transfer the image to the backing."

"The backing that is not knotted is covered by the wood. To start, I screwed a strip of wood on the top and bottom of the backing directly to the back of the cabinet. Once that was laying flat inside the cabinet I screwed the wood panels I made directly to the cabinet backing. The screw heads next to the woodpecker are covered by the yarn and there is a thin strip of wood covering the screw heads of the wood panels next to the outside of the cabinet."

"I once again made knots in between rows (I only used one strand of yarn) to make some areas look more full and to provide an outline (two strands of yarn)."

"The eye is an LED light."



Melinda:

Thank you, David, for explaining your process. It gives people freedom to create their own artistic "rules" when there are none.

"In Charley Harper's print the bug is at the end of the beak. This would have made things a little unwieldy for my interpretation. I used yellowheart and ebony to make it."

I'm Teaching at Common Ground on the Hill July 7 - 11, 2025

It's too early to sign up, but not too early to pencil in on your calendar.

Hot off the Press!


You can mark your calendars if you are so inclined. Every year, this is a highlight for me and my students. Morning classes from Monday - Friday learning everything you can learn in a week about knotting a rya rug. I tell ALL.


Check out their website for basic information.

Have You Heard about the Book? Of course you have.

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 book. Thank you. Click here.

And a Few Closing Words

cartoon-fireworks-banner.gif


Remember to make this year your best yet.

And that is all for now. I'll be better about timeliness with the newsletter in 2025. Do you believe me? I always do my best.


Thanks for staying with me through this newsletter.

Thanks for being such lovely people to spend time working with.

I'll leave you with a few photos from my garden strolls--and one from the kitchen.

~ Melinda

This is the most snow I've seen in Woodbine, MD in the past year. We may get between 2" and 7" on Monday. I hope so. It is time to give the rya rugs their dry cleaning baths in the snow. Remember to do the same if you have snow.

I love this river birch. What a warm golden glow it casts on this 22 degree windy day.

Not too much color in the yard right now, but the blue spruce does have a little blue in there.

I know you were hoping I'd share a picture of a sourdough boule. As soon as I hit "send" I will be making a pot of potato collard green soup. My reward for completion. Click image for how-to recipe.

logo image

PO Box 162

Woodbine, MD 21797

410-615-2473

info@byrdcallstudio.com

Facebook