Please Note:
I am not accepting orders for Rya Rugs backing at this time as I am not able to order the backings from Finland (due to Brexit problems)
I can however custom dye the yarns for rya rugs using natural plant dyes.
Here are a few other sources for ordering Rya rug backings and supplies.
Iltamaa
Jenni Vanhanen in Finland offers wonderful Finnish style rya rug backings and yarns.
Byrdcall Studio
Melinda Byrd sells Norwegian style rya rug backing, kits and supplies.
For those who would like to make their own traditional style rya (ryijy) rug, I hand dye rya yarns using natural plant dyes. The world of plant dyes offers much variety and gentle colour to yarns. Each batch is uniquely dyed as the colour and shading varies depending on the soil and growing conditions of the plants, the acidity of the dye water and the length of time in the dyeVAt. This variety of colour gives a plant dyed rya rug a rich depth of shading.
These Rya Yarns have been designed to work best with the Finnish style of backing that I sell.
Traditionally, the rya pile on a Finnish rug is quite short in length.
The pile is packed quite firmly (3-4 threads per knot). This allows the pile to stand up quite straight, creating small points of colour in the finished piece, allowing for greater detail in the patterning.
Plant Dyed Rya Rug Yarn
The rya yarns that I currently sell are all hand dyed with natural plant dyes. I dye the yarns in small skeins of 20 grams per skein. Each skein is approx. 45 meters in length.
Price per 20 gram Skein: £7.50
Skein Length: 45 meters
Below are tables that gives an estimate of how much yarn you will need depending on the size of rya rug and length of the rya pile.
Short Rya Pile – 1.5 cm
Using a 1.5 cm Rya ruler, a 1 meter length of yarn will tie approx. 12 – 15 knots.
Use 3 yarn threads per knot.
| Rya Rug Size | Knots / Row | # Rows | Knots / Meter | Yarn / per Knot | Total Meters | Total Skeins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35x100cm | 52 | 100 | 12 | 3 | 1300 | 30 | |
| 45x100cm | 68 | 100 | 12 | 3 | 1700 | 40 | |
| 54x100cm | 80 | 100 | 12 | 3 | 2000 | 45 | |
| 80x100cm | 120 | 100 | 12 | 3 | 3000 | 70 | |
| 100x100cm | 150 | 100 | 12 | 3 | 3750 | 85 | |
| 120x100cm | 180 | 100 | 12 | 3 | 4500 | 100 | |
| 130x100cm | 195 | 100 | 12 | 3 | 4875 | 110 |
Short Rya Pile – 1.5 cm
Using a 1.5 cm Rya ruler, a 1 meter length of yarn will tie approx. 12 – 15 knots.
Use 4 yarn threads per knot.
| Rya Rug Size | Knots / Row | # Rows | Knots / Meter | Yarn / per Knot | Total Meters | Total Skeins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35x100cm | 52 | 100 | 12 | 4 | 1733 | 40 | |
| 45x100cm | 68 | 100 | 12 | 4 | 2267 | 50 | |
| 54x100cm | 80 | 100 | 12 | 4 | 2667 | 60 | |
| 80x100cm | 120 | 100 | 12 | 4 | 4000 | 90 | |
| 100x100cm | 150 | 100 | 12 | 4 | 5000 | 130 | |
| 120x100cm | 180 | 100 | 12 | 4 | 6000 | 135 | |
| 130x100cm | 195 | 100 | 12 | 4 | 6500 | 145 |
Long Rya Pile – 2.5 cm
When designing a longer length of rya pile, the rya looks best when the pile lies more flatly, overlapping the previous row of knots.
For this type of rya rug, I recommend using 2-3 threads per knot.
Using a 2.5 cm Rya Ruler, a 1 meter length of yarn will tie approx. 10-12 knots.
| Rya Rug Size | Knots / Row | # Rows | Knots / Meter | Yarn / Knot | Total Meters | Total Skeins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35x100cm | 52 | 100 | 10 | 3 | 1560 | 35 | |
| 45x100cm | 68 | 100 | 10 | 3 | 2040 | 45 | |
| 54x100cm | 80 | 100 | 10 | 3 | 2400 | 55 | |
| 80x100cm | 120 | 100 | 10 | 3 | 3600 | 80 | |
| 100x100cm | 150 | 100 | 10 | 3 | 4500 | 100 | |
| 120x10cm | 180 | 100 | 10 | 3 | 5400 | 120 | |
| 130x100cm | 195 | 100 | 10 | 3 | 5850 | 130 |
Naturally Plant Dyed Wool Yarns
I use high quality worsted spun wool for my hand dyed rya rug yarns. The yarns are tightly spun and quite soft to the touch. The yarn is British Blue Faced Leicester wool that has a natural sheen to the yarn. Rya rugs are not designed to be used as a floor rug but are meant to be hung on a wall as a tapestry and family heirloom. Please treat your hand made ryijy with care, so that you can pass it on to future generations. Plant dyes are more sensitive to gentle fading. Please hang your rya rug in a place that is not in direct sunlight, to help preserve the brightness of the colours. Naturally plant dyed wools are not bright in colour but are gentle and soft in shading. Much like the tapestries that can be found in museums.
All of the Rya Wool Yarns are sold by custom order only. Please allow 4-6 weeks for completion of a custom order.
I can accept international orders, however these will be processed through my Etsy shop so that appropriate taxes and duties will be charged.
Please contact me for more information.