Now I have this gorgeous photo from...a very long time ago and I think about what I must look like behind my spinning wheel. I am always barefoot and very relaxed. During the Summer I'm in a tank top and shorts and in the Winter most likely in my pajamas. I wonder about this woman...especially not knowing the year of the photo. How many layers of undergarments was she wearing? Is she wearing shoes? Is there a baby nearby or dinner cooking? Is this her "happy" place or does she look at spinning as a chore?
Spinning for me is one of the happiest places I have found. When I sit behind my wheel, I feel all the worries of my day wash away. With every treadle another piece of my anxiety crumbles and with every draft of my roving a sense of peace fills my mind. The rhythm of my spinning lulls me into a peace that I had never found before. Becoming a spinner has changed my life on so many levels and I am always eager to share that love with others. My friend, Holly B, says that there is a Spinner in all of us and I believe that. If I handed you a spindle tomorrow you would be spinning. The question is, would you enjoy it? So, I will continue to look at this lady spinning and hope that she found peace at her wheel like I have at mine.
Sister Bear has decided she wants to try the spinning wheel again. She tried it last year but felt she didn't have the control over the wheel that she has with her drop spindle. hmmm, control? Maybe that's why I love spinning so much. I control the fiber, the treadle, the process....hmmmm
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The quality of the photo - it's sharpness and large size - leads me to believe that the photo was posed, possibly for advertising purposes. Her clothing is mid- to 3rd quarter 19th century, but the styling of the frame is later, as is probably the photo itself.
ReplyDeleteI'd put the photo around 1890s to 1910, and I suspect she's posed to look as if she's spinning at an earlier time.
I miss her, but I know she's gone to a loving home. Can't ask for more than that!
Thanks, Beth! You did tell me all of this information and my "pretty little brain" couldn't retain all of the information.
ReplyDeleteI was studying it more (I really do love this photo) and she is wearing shoes. <> Shoes while spinning. Yes, she is at a loving home and you can visit her often. Thank you, again, for finding this treasure.
I love the picture! I'm like you. I could sit there and look at it and imagine what her whole life was like. I think it would be lovely to find a similar dress for Sister Bear and then stage her to match the photo. I bet Beth would take the picture for you. :)
ReplyDeleteI think both the lady and Sister Bear look peaceful at their wheels.
ReplyDeleteI love how you described the feeling while spinning.
One of the things I like best about spinning is the need to remain present and focus on what I'm doing. If I loose focus then the yarn gets all wonky. For that reason, I think spinning is a good metaphore for life.
I think it's a beautiful photograph. Even if it is posed, I like the way she looks relaxed and sort of lost in thought. Spinning may have been more of a daily chore at one time, but the best kinds of chores are the ones where you can let your mind wander. They can become your "me time". I know women who feel that way about ironing. Not me, mind you, but some.
ReplyDeleteOne of my happiest places in the world is sitting outside on a pretty day with my spinning wheel whirring and a really good audio book.
I thought I was the only one who did spinning in my pajammas. One thing I do like about winter is spinning yarn all weekend, with a wonderful fire roaring in the fireplace, in my jammies of course. Summer is nice to spin too :)
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