Teaching a Student

This was my Uncle Fremont who lived in Texas. He came to visit my family in 1994.

Just as he was going out the door, to return to Texas, he said that he wanted to learn to spin. I found a way to send a packed-up wheel home with him and he assembled it at his home in Texas. Earlier I had taught my father to spin, so my father and I taught my Uncle Fremont to spin by talking with him over the phone, and by hand-written letters, and by sending samples of spun yarn to him via regular mail.

He learned well, and he spun for my business for over a year. That was his last year of life, and I believe that it greatly enriched and enlivened his last year. I reaped the rewards of using his wonderful yarns.

Twenty-five years later, I sent Fremont’s Granddaughter a pair of baby booties I had someone make for me, using Fremont’s hand-spun yarn and my hand-spun yarns. The new mother put the booties on her baby boy, who would have been Fremont’s Great Grandson, if Fremont were still living.

Spinning has a way of connecting people, and touching lives.