Finishing the Ryijy
Day five: weave the top ground and hem allowance, cut the piece off, secure the warp ends with knots, sew hems top and bottom, slide a rod into the top hem, then mist the pile, let it settle, and trim it even.
- 2 min
- 5 steps
- 1 question
- Lesson 156 of 204
In this lesson
- Top ground and hem
- Cut off and secure the warp
- Sew the hems
- Settle and trim
- Try it
Picking up where you left off.
Vävstuga’s five-day rya class gives a whole day to finishing 1; a small wall piece needs a few hours, but don’t rush it.
Top ground and hem
After the last knot row, weave a few picks of ground, then the top hem allowance, the mirror of the bottom: Lankava weaves only 2 picks between its last knot rows and then the hem 2. The Voss rye leaves 15 cm unknotted at each end for a rolled hem 3; a wall hanging needs less.
Cut off and secure the warp
Cut the warp a few inches beyond the hems on both ends. Tie the warp ends in pairs with overhand knots snug against the weaving, as Lankava does with its 2-end knots 2. This keeps the ground from unraveling while you sew.
Sew the hems
Lankava sews a 3 cm top hem and a 3.5 cm bottom hem with a 2 cm turn-in 2. Fold the hem allowance to the back, tuck the knotted warp ends inside, and sew it down with linen thread in small stitches that don’t show on the pile side. Leave the ends of the top hem open.
Slide an aluminum tube or dowel through the top hem and thread a cord through it to hang 2.
Settle and trim
Mist the pile lightly with water and let it dry hanging 2. Then trim stray long strands with sharp scissors. Let the pile settle for days and trim again 4. Trim sparingly: the slightly uneven surface of mixed strands is part of how a ryijy looks.
A ryijy is for the wall or the bed, not the floor 4. The old ones were bed and boat covers with the pile turned down 5.
Quick check
Pile shifts as it settles; trim once it has relaxed.
Try it
Hang the ryijy at eye level in side light and look at it from across the room before the last trim. The color mixing reads from a distance; trim only what looks wrong from there.
Lesson complete
Nice work.
Sources for this lesson
- 1Rya Ruminations (2025). Vävstuga Weaving School. verifiedFive days with Åsa Viksten Strömbom, $1,100 plus $105 materials: bird's-eye and diamond-twill grounds, at least three knot methods, on a wool warp striped in colors the student chooses; Monday thread and tie up, Tuesday-Wednesday weave, Thursday finish, Friday show.
- 2Mia Lehtiniemi, Marja Rautiainen. Tuohi hapsuryijy (pattern). Lankava Oy. verifiedModern long-fringe ryijy 29 x 50 cm: 15-ply cotton/linen warp at 3 ends/cm, 33 cm wide; wool ground 2.5 picks/cm; outermost 2 warp ends reinforced as a floating edge; edge knots over 4 ends, others over 6; 6 ground picks between knot rows; each knot a bundle of 5-6 different yarns changed row by row to grade the color; 2 cm single plus 6 cm doubled hem allowance; warp ends tied in pairs; hems sewn, an aluminum tube in the top hem; mist the pile, dry, trim.
- 3Marta Kløve Juuhl. Tips for Weaving a Voss Rye. Norwegian Textile Letter. verifiedNorwegian rye: wool warp at 20 epi; knots after every 8th pick around 3 warps; doubled 4-ply yarn; pile 6-8 cm with strands twice the pile; 15 cm unknotted at each end; rolled hem.
- 4Rya Rug Stitching Instructions. All Fiber Arts. 2024. verifiedPile 1-1.5 in; knot over 2 warps; 2 strands lie flat, 3 make it dense; wrap over a wooden ruler and cut; work bottom to top; let the pile settle for days, then trim again. Ryas are for wall or bed, not floor.
- 5Marjo Ahonen. The Meanings of Finnish Folk Rya. Norwegian Textile Letter. 2022. verifiedBy a curator of the Craft Museum of Finland. Rya came to Finland from Scandinavia in the Viking Age as a western coastal tradition; listed in inventories under Gustav Vasa and used as currency and tax; 'castle rya' by professional weavers in white and brown wool. Folk-rya golden age in western Finland 1770-1850; pile turned down for warmth in beds, boats, and sleighs; narrow widths sewn together, later woven in one piece; bridal ryas showed wealth, bought red and blue dyes a status sign.