Memories of Spinning Legend Stephenie Gaustad

In decades as her publisher and friend, Linda Ligon collected many memories of Stephenie Gaustad and her husband, Alden Amos. Here, Linda shares one of the stories of collaborating with Stephenie on articles, books, teaching, and videos.

As I unpack forty years’ worth of memories, one that rises to the top is Stephenie making the video Spinning Cotton. It was early fall of 2010. We—our video crew of two and I—made our way up into the gold hills of Northern California through Sutter Creek, Fiddletown, Jackson, and Volcano, rugged country with a rugged history. If you turned right on Upper Previtali Road, if you could spot it, you would arrive at the rustic homestead of Stephenie and her husband, Alden Amos.

Alden Amos, Stephenie, and Stephenie’s daughter, Laura, at the Spinner’s Rendezvous in 1987.

The sprawling house, workshop, and shed all overflowed with fiber, fiber tools, looms, wheels—you don’t call it hoarding when every single thing has a story and a purpose. But she had cleared space in the kitchen to shoot a couple of hours of video, provided that the cameraman cantilevered himself over the sink and the electrical outlets worked. Her intro to the video? “Welcome to my kitchen,” delivered with that saucy smile.

On camera, Stephenie is resplendent in a handspun, handwoven, natural-dyed cotton smock—so fine and sturdy and elegant, slow fashion for the ages. And she is prepared! I’ve never worked with anyone who planned so thoroughly, who scripted so precisely. Turns out, she came from a show-business family. She knew how to do television.

At SOAR in 1991, Stephenie demonstrated spinning cotton on a charkha. For decades when spinning cotton fell out of favor, Stephenie was one of few teachers to offer classes.

People weren’t spinning cotton much in those days. It didn’t seem well-suited to the spinning wheels of choice, and the fibers were so short. But as Stephenie noted, cotton has clothed more people throughout the history of mankind than any other fiber. And she came from cotton country: Bakersfield, in the San Joaquin Valley. In the video, she gins cotton right there on the kitchen table, using first a rolling pin, then a roller gin that Alden crafted. She draws out a magically fine thread with nothing but a hooked wire; she uptwists, plies, finishes, the whole process. She spins on a takli. On a charkha. On a great wheel. She even jiggers a sort of average wool wheel so it will spin cotton. She’s loving this, and it looks like fun!

The fun is just basic to who Stephenie was in every aspect of her life: spinner, weaver, writer, artist, toolmaker, teacher, mother, wife, friend. What it all comes down to is pure joy. Stephenie didn’t always take the easy path in life, but she followed her chosen path, wherever it took her, with wicked joy.

In addition to writing and teaching, Stephenie was a skilled maker of spinning tools. In this photo from SOAR 1996, she’s taking a break from setting up the marketplace booth for Studio Gaustad, which sold tools by Stephenie and Alden. Note the handspun, handwoven blouse, which she wore for the video in 2010.

After we called it a wrap, it was time for dinner. Alden served up spaghetti, because we’ve all had a long-running joke about spinning spaghetti. At some point, I thought to myself, I wonder how many people Stephenie has taught to spin, how many lives she’s enriched with her knowledge and her zest for it all. The special tricks and techniques, the jokes, the hugs, the love.

It’s beyond reckoning.

The 2010 video course Spinning Cotton is now free through March 24, 2025, to remember Stephenie Gaustad—extraordinary spinner, illustrator, partner, friend, teacher, and colleague. Once you enroll for free, you’ll have lifetime access to the course through your account. Please enjoy learning from this beloved and talented spinner.

Linda Ligon is a co-founder of Long Thread Media.