About the Guild

History

Persis Grayson, a very gifted spinning teacher, started the Tennessee Valley Handspinners in 1976. She is responsible for the re-birth of the craft of handspinning in the late 1960's and early 1970's. She designed the spinning classes at Arrowmont School at that time, and taught there many years when it was primarily a traditional crafts school. She was from Kingsport,TN, but traveled all over teaching spinning. Many area people attended her classes. Her enthusiam and joy in this craft was one of the things she taught. Thinking that spinning was too good not to share, a number of local spinners who were also interested were gathered together, and formed Tennessee Valley Handspinners.

The original meeting site was the Blount Mansion basement, in Knoxville, and it was the meeting place for many years. After several other locations, the group has been using the Cedar Bluff library for many years..

The membership of the spinning guild has varied between 50 and about 12 spinners over the years and it has always been a group for all ages. Over the years, many members have demonstrated at schools and local historic sites. The group loves to display group-made afghans, which are composed of knitted, woven, crocheted and felted squares made by members at several time periods in the organizations.