Finnish Rya Rugs – a crafting journey through time

Finland has this old and unique tradition of weaving patterned rya rugs. Rya rugs are known throughout Nordic countries, but in Finland the weaving of these rugs became an art form during the 18th century. These rugs were often a part of the bride’s dowry and used in the wedding ceremony. Later they were hung to decorate the family home. I have always wanted to make one myself and finally last December I asked for and received a rya kit for my birthday.

Rya is a fabric made out of warp, weft and pile. The name comes from the word ruh which means shaggy. In Finnish, the word has changed into “ryijy” but in English, the Scandinavian word rya is more commonly recognized. The oldest ryas in Finnish museums are from the late 17th century but the written records tell about the use of ryas much earlier. Some sources even mention patterns!

These textiles have a long history going back to the Viking age and beyond. It is believed that the origin of ryas is in the fishermen’s boat rugs. As fur would dry very slowly and become hardened in the process the rya was a much better way of keeping warm in the harsh Nordic climate.

My rya rug project

I decided to make the rya of Kangasniemi that is based on the historical surviving examples from the area where my husband’s family originates:

The rya was too big for my looms so I opted for a more modern way of rya making: sewing on the backing fabric.

For more history and to see how I made my rya rug, watch my video on YouTube:

About historical rya rugs of Finland

If you are interested in ryas, I recommend visiting Finna, the digital library and online museum catalogue. There you can see over 5000 examples of ryas collected from Finland! Some of 18th-century ryas look strangely modern like this one, which plays with letter and number shapes:

During the latter part of the 19th century, it became fashionable to use floral cross-stitch patterns to make ryas:

Where to find materials and patterns:

I bought my kit from Ryijypalvelu. Besides traditional rya patterns, they also sell lots of modern rya patterns and ready-made ryas.

Wetterhoff sells kits and materials as well a third good place is Taitoshop.

For American readers, a good place to shop is Byrdcall on Etsy.

The finished Kangasniemi rya rug

Altogether, it took me 2 and half months to sew this rug. Oddly, I still sort of miss this project. It was so relaxing to sit and sew away while listening to a podcast! I hung the rug over our stairwell where it faces the living room and I can see it every day.

Thank you for reading and see you soon!

Katja