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Bill and Emilie learn the rya knotting process for both left-handed and right-handed stitching.

Bill and Emilie learn the rya knotting process for both left-handed and right-handed stitching.

If you have been following the past four rya designing lessons, you can probably sense the joy I felt when the man who asked me to design this rya for him came to my studio in Maryland (from New Jersey) for a lesson and to bring his supplies home with him.

Over a year ago, Bill discovered me on the internet (as many of you have).  He had made a rya about 40 years ago and was searching for supplies and the perfect design for his second rya.  I helped him search by sending links to web sites with hundreds of rya photos.

Here is the pile gathered for Bill's rya project: Monet's Bridge.

Here is the pile gathered for Bill’s rya project: Monet’s Bridge.

Eventually Bill found a painting by Claude Monet of the bridge over the lily pond which had the colors and feel he was looking for.   He asked me to develop this design so he could create a rya for a wall-hanging.  Since I was getting deep into writing my book on “designing your own rya”, I told him I could, but it would be a while… I just had to get the book done first.  Then months later, I learned the lesson so many writers learn…not to rush the writing process.  So rather than make him wait many more months, I took on the project and started to do these lessons for you at the same time.  I hope some of you have found them to be helpful.

So yesterday, Bill and Emilie and sweet little dachshund, Chance, arrived at Byrdcall Studio to learn (or relearn) the process and everything they will need to do to complete the rug.  While I got Bill (left-handed) and Emilie (right-hand) oriented to the knotting process and graph reading, Chance rooted out and consumed all the feral crickets in Byrdcall Studio!

Bill getting more comfortable by the minute with the knotting process.

Bill getting more comfortable by the minute with the knotting process.

Bill and Emile are now starting on a new adventure and I am re-committing to getting this book written more now than ever.  Writing out these instructions here in the Byrdcall Blog has helped me to formulate some of the techniques I’ll put in the book…and I realized not to start you off with such a complicated design!  The rest of my designing lessons will be a piece of cake compared to this one.  But I am very proud of the design and confident that Bill and Emilie will have a spectacular 4′ x 6′ rya hanging on the wall within a year.

Simple set-up: a table, chair, and a hanging rack for the yarn.

They are ready to take the supplies home and create their own work space… Simply a table, chair, good lighting, and a hanging rack for the yarn.  And off they go!

Thanks for keeping up on the lessons.  Bill has promised to send photos of his progress.  I promise to get the book done, but not in 2014.

Thank you Bill and Emilie for letting me use your project as my on-line demonstration.  It has been FUN.

As always in my blogs, questions and comments are welcome.

Cheers!

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