A Gift From A Stranger

Day 17: Last Sunday, a minivan pulled into my yard and a woman close to my own age got out and approached my door. Figuring that she was a lost tourist, I stepped outside to help her, but it turned out that she knew exactly where she was headed: my home, to speak with me regarding a spinning wheel in her possession.

Some years ago, she had stopped at my house when I was having a yard sale. I had some hand-spun out in addition to the usual collection of bric-a-brac, and it seems our conversation had turned to spinning. I, of course, had no recollection of this chat, but it had stuck in her mind. Downsizing, she wanted to find a good home for her wheel, somewhere it would be used and cared for. I told her I hadn't been doing much spinning lately, but that I was interested and asked her to name her price. "Nothing," she said. "I want to give it to you." We exchanged phone numbers and I expected that would be the last I heard from her.

Last night, she called and made arrangements to bring the wheel to me. I had no idea what type it was, or whether it was modern as I expected, or perhaps an older model. I was surprised when she unloaded this antique "walking wheel" from her van.

As far as I can tell, it seems to be missing a few small parts, notably the small pegs which hold the Minor's wheel above the spinning head. I've been unable to locate a photo of the exact same type of wheel, but you can rest assured I'll be digging deeper so that I can get this old beauty up and running again.