December Kitchen Window

The stockings are hung...in our kitchen window for the month of December. These early knitted "candy cane" stockings have aged to a soft red and warm ecru. The small black and red socks are early as well.

This sweet "Santa & Tree" is the work of the very talented Angela Hillstrom of Of Cloth and Hand. He is wearing black britches and his red coat is an old striped fabric. Can you see his wonderful  socks? His wee socks are red and white striped!

Another pair of early socks join Santa, a few vintage fir trees and antique red mittens atop a stack of early painted pantry boxes. Santa is very interested in all the goings on here at the sink!

This lovely red cardinal is also the work of Angela. Like Santa, he is all hand sewn from early fabric. He's nestled in a wreath for the month...a great vantage point for Christmas cookie baking!

And, of course, my two loves...long ago in Williamsburg.

I really had fun putting this window together this month. I love black and red together...my teenage bedroom was black and red and I still love it all these many years later. I was thrilled when I spied Angela's Santa with his black pants...and especially his striped socks. He was my inspiration! 

Red and black...stockings and mittens...trees and greens...some of my favorite things in my kitchen window this month.

And so the countdown begins!

Enjoy the day,

Robyn 

You can visit Angela Hillstrom's website here http://www.ofclothandhand.com/ to see more of her wonderful creations. Thank you, Angela for your talent...and your friendship.

p.s. My email is down...I can receive but I'm unable to reply or send. I hope to get it working over the weekend.  If you're waiting on me, I'll get back to you asap.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Yule Tide...it's on the way!

The first cold weather of the season...it sets the whole holiday doings in motion. Today, Annie and I started our Christmas decorating. I know it's early, and Thanksgiving is still a week away, but we just couldn't help ourselves...it's cold outside!

We worked in the living room today. Fired up the bayberry candles and Perry Como (one of my very favorite nuns at boarding school was his first cousin). There are boxes and all sorts of mess all over! 

Hope you are staying warm and starting to feel that Christmas magic!

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Thanks to those of you who offered advice on transferring a rug pattern to linen. I did find this great sticky mesh I bought a while ago and it worked like a charm. However, the linen I had would not stay on my frame...it would not grip. So I ordered new linen and traced the pattern onto that...just haven't had time to pull any loops.

Can't wait to get started!

Enjoy the day,

Robyn

Veteran's Day

On this Veteran's Day, I thought I would share with you a special document that has been in our family over one hundred years. 

The photos are not the best...I was dealing with a lot of glare.

This is a framed certificate given to my great grandfather, Joseph Knapp, by The Grand Army of the Republic. This was an organization of Civil War veterans in Pennsylvania.

 

It is a large document 16 by 22 inches. In my lifetime, it has hung in my grandfather's office, my parent's family room and, most recently, my husband's office.

  

The colored graphics are beautiful!

But to me, the best part is the hand lettered list of the battles my great grandfather took part in...as well as the dates.

 Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia...he was even in Atlanta at one time and took part in the Battle at Big Shanty.

I wonder how he got that far south from Pennsylvania...troop train or on foot. He would have been around twenty five years old at the time. I wonder how many friends he lost, the horrors he witnessed.

He was discharged in Harrisburg on September 12th, 1865...close of the war.

Here he is decades later in his Grand Army of the Republic regalia. Wish I had that hat and those medals. I do, however, have that nose...and those ears. I see my grandfather, my father and myself when I look at this picture...there's something nice about that.

This document was presented to my great grandmother and their children on August 20, 1901. Alphonso was my grandfather.

I am so happy our family has kept this written history in it's possession all these many years. It is big and heavy all framed up, but it has made our family journey through many states, just as Joseph traveled through many states during his days as a soldier in the Civil War.

And another veteran in the family...my handsome father.

Thank you to my great grandfather. Thank you to my father. Thank you to all veterans!

Enjoy the day,

Robyn

Randomness...

I'm a fan of the talented Maggie Bonanomi and have decided to hook this fun rug from her latest book.

I have never transferred a paper pattern to linen. I have some of that red dot paper and a black Sharpie ready to go.  And I've had the pattern blown up to the recommended size. Any advice would be most welcome. 

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Thomas Jefferson was not the only notable person we met on our trip to Philadelphia. We paid a visit to Betsy Ross and found her sewing away in her shop.

She took time to come out to her garden area and cut a five point star for Annie. Annie was a bit intimidated as Betsy was talking "in character".  

Elfreth's Alley is a beautiful block of original 18th and 19th century houses...continually lived in for the last three hundred years.

George Washington's chair is the only original piece of furniture in Independence Hall. Lucky save!

Of course we met Rocky...on a cold and rainy day!

Then warmed up with some hot soup at the local Whole Foods. And scored some 

great Halloween cookies for dessert.

The iconic symbol for the city of brotherly love.

Annie and Clancy awaiting breakfast from room service. The kid knows how to enjoy life! The night before she even scored a bottle of ginger ale...soda is banned at our house. 

I spent a lot of time looking out this window. That's Logan Circle out there. I sat here day and night...knitting, drinking tea, watching...just being. It was a highlight of the trip for me!

Saying goodbye to the Four Seasons...Philadelphia...Annie and Clancy are anxious to get home!

It's chilly here this morning and I'm loving it!

Enjoy the day,

Robyn