Retired 4/30/99

I had a Great Aunt Ruth who loved violets. She lived with my grandmother in Chicago. They had a bungalow built by their father in 1900 on the south side. I was born there and lived in the house with them for my early childhood. I loved to nap in Aunt Ruth's room - I would wake up to see walls of violets all around me and violets on her blankets, curtains, and dressing table. I could smell the violet-scented cologne she loved to wear. She was a very tall woman, and she dyed her hair fire engine red before it was the fashion. Everything about her was a bit larger than life...she wore great huge rings and large-print, brightly colored, flamboyant clothes. She told the best stories while giving the best back scratches! I was thinking about all this as I designed this spindle - this one's for you Great Ruthie! I miss you!

A bunch of violets graces the top of the whorl, with leaves and vines winding around and through the flowers. The spindle is based in a mottled purple and white and the vines and leaves wind down lazily around the spindle. This spindle is for all you purple lovers out there!

The violets was the first spindle with painting on the spindle - and was the link between regular and gourmet lollies.

Violets was very popular, I painted 131 violets.