“Rya Weaving”
(three day in-person workshop)
TO REGISTER:
This workshop will open to Guild Members at noon January 10, 2026 via the link below (or visit the Workshop Registration page in the Member Area):
https://www.seattleweaversguild.com/workshop-registration
The registration page requires your Member Area password - please confirm access before attempting to register;
email website@seattleweaversguild.com if you need assitance.
Dates:
Day 1: TBD
Day 2: TBD
Day 3: TBD
Class Description:
Explore the possibilities of pile rugs! In this 3 day class, students will learn to weave rya in the Swedish tradition to create their own contemporary work. Each student will create their own small scale designs and learn to transfer those drawings into knotwork. Three days of focused knotting will be broken up with lessons on color theory and blending, techniques for efficiency in larger pieces, calculating materials, and more. We will also explore the history of Scandinavian pile rugs from their purely utilitarian purpose in the Viking Age to the expressive designs of Mid-Century Modern and more. This method of hand-knotting is slow and meditative, with the opportunity to create eye-catching geometric designs or more nuanced painterly expression. When leaving the class, students will have a solid foundation in rya practice to make their own larger scale rugs or wall hangings in this global knotting technique.
This is not a round robin.
Skill Level:
pending
Materials required:
pending
Registration:
SWG Members: noon on January 10th, 2026.
Non-members: noon on February 7th, 2026.
Class size:
Max 15
Cost:
$100 Deposit
Estimated final cost $293, based on 12 students enrolled, $235 based on maximum enrollment. In addition, there is a material fee of $75. The final cost will depend on the number of students enrolled. $100 deposit due at time of registration. Final payment is due during the workshop.
Location:
About Sydney:
Christine Novotny weaves vibrant and hearty textiles, exploring the intimacy of labor, materiality, and the relationship of color within different woven processes. Her work explores how colors work together, interact and move, seeking unexpected chromatic kinship in woven form. Integrating bold shapes and atmospheric color blending, she uses a painterly approach to color by bundling yarns and tying knots on her floor loom.
Novotny holds a BFA in Painting from Indiana University and completed a two year residency at North House Folk School, where she explored weaving and honed her craft. She has been awarded grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board and Arrowhead Regional Arts Council, as well as an Artist Fellowship from the American Scandinavian Foundation in New York. Her work has been exhibited throughout the Minnesota and beyond, most recently in a solo show in the Artist Studio at American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis. She lives and works in Grand Marais, MN.