bored bear

I had a bored Koda Bear on the mountain.  

I had a bored bear because the tractor broke and things were needing to be done to fix it.  The boyos were flattening the spot I would ilke my studio to be because the goal is to flatten the mountain.  Just ask any male who runs any type of flattening equipment on the mountain!  The tractor suddenly stopped.  Bob came up (who has over sixty years of experience with heavy equipment) and could not figure out the problem.  It could be the starter.  Well, it was actually a $20 spring that is going to end up in about a $1000 of maintenance.  Because the tractor has not been serviced in three years.  But while this was all going on, Koda Bear was bored.

He was trying to build things with no materials and no tools.  He wanted to build an ecoprinter.  I am really not sure what his imagination meant by that but I do know there was frustration because it was not working.  I finally stepped in, took of the silk and cotton slip I was wearing (protein fibers print/dye easier), and had him smash plants into it.

If he had been an adult, he probably would have ended up with the flowers and leaves mashed into the slip so it was an actual print.  But he is seven.  I have the most interesting splotches of color on that slip now.  With holes where the hammer broke through the cloth while he was mashing plants.  The rock did not cause holes as such.  

I will mend my slip and have a tatter slip with colors of plants.  Yes, I like white but he had a really good time.  It is starting the process of learning how to print.  It is all the same process truly.  Something to print, color added some how, pressure added. 

He had fun.  I laughed.  It was a good time.  And the tractor will get fixed.

a sweater for a bear

I know I mentioned earlier this summer that Koda Bear had picked out yarn for a sweater for himself.  Touched all the yarns in Tolt.  He chose this gold yellow.  I have been working on it since.

I did not have a pattern.  I worked on it.  I took it out.  I started again.  I changed that bit.  I tried the body on him at one point before I started the sleeves.  He tried it on for me after I finished one sleeve the first weekend I was up in the Pacific Northwest.

I finished the sweater in time for the second weekend.

I put a heart in it to show which was the back.  Also, to remind him that this sweater was a grandma hug for when he was missing me.

I finally convinced him to try it on.  He twirled.  This was about as still of a photograph as I could take!

He wore it until he got so warm he was sweating.  It took about 30 minutes.  The red house was warm but not really that warm.  The bear picked out very warm yarn.  But I think he likes it.  He knows to give it back to me when he out grows it.  Either to be made into something else, or possibly fix it, or add more yarn to make it bigger.

Have hook.  Will travel.

Idyllwild

Koda Bear was promised camping.  We went to Idyllwild, California and stayed in a state park there.  The other campground we had stayed in Mount San Jacinto State Park was closed for winter.  I was pleasantly surprised on how nice it was.  Especially since the campground was two blocks from "downtown" Idyllwild.  It is a very small town.  Population of 1500 without day visitors or tourists.

We got there and set up the tent.  When we got there, it was not too late but we were all tired.  Koda Bear had fallen asleep in the car.  We just crawled into bed.

The next morning was chilly.  But there was tea and oatmeal.  The day warmed up quickly.  We lucked upon a festival for kids where all the fire departments in the area were presenting.  Koda Bear thought that was great.  He dressed as a fireman and did the obstacle course.  Played games and colored.  Sat in a fire truck.  I am not sure how impressed he was with the fire truck because it was green and small.  He has sat in a red larger fire truck in Lehi, Utah.  He still talks about Lehi, Utah.

We took the day fairly slowly.  We spent almost two hours in a playground.  There was a bakery snack.  The skateboards came out.  Fallen leaves, pine cones, acorns, and pine needles were collected to make slop.  It is from a Gerald and Piggie book.  S'mores were made after dinner over a small fire.  I controlled the fire because the boyos would have made a bonfire and we would have been up all night.

The next day, we hiked up to Suicide Rock.  And back.  12.5 miles in total because we started at the campground.  Koda Bear did really well.  I did have to pull him up at times but he ran all the way down.  The last half mile his feet were coming out from under him though.  Another bakery visit seemed to help that.  

The hike was longer then I expected because the map does not take into account all the distance.  The internet description of distance is better.  I thought the internet description of moderate was a good description of the hike.  Which I felt was more of a walk.  But other people were making it out to be much more difficult.  And we were told it was a difficult hike.  It made me feel like when a nurse in the past has told me something will hurt a bit.  No, that means it will hurt a lot! 

To me, this was not a difficult hike.  It went up!  It went down!  It was long.  It was very pretty.  I was told it would have been better if there had been a bakery at the top.  

After the hike, camp was broken down and Koda Bear was taken back to the Tall Short Person.  There was school Monday morning.  But it was so good to see him.  He is very missed.

strange request

I had the strangest request from Koda Bear.  He wanted a nightdress.  Light blue.  I was like okay.  Historically, small bears of his age would still be wearing nightdresses.  Not a problem.  I had coupons and I made him a nightdress.  

I come to find out that it was not quite what he invisioned.  He wanted a cross between a nightdress, a mummy wrap, and a ninja covering.  Toes and hands could not be seen.  His head and face needed to be covered.  I do not even know where he got this idea.  I may try again but next time I will have him draw me a picture of what he wants!  

He was kind and wore the night dress once.  He pulled the hem up over his head trying to make the mummy suit he really wanted.  That is what he calls it.

But, while I was making the nightdress, I made Koda Bear a light blue heart.  I used scraps and wool roving for stuffing.  It is one of his favorite things now.  He wants to sleep with it and hold it.  Something was a success!

Mummy suit.  That one will be interesting.  Maybe he will pick out the fabric this time.

I am off to the mountain.  I am so excited and so ready.  I am going to take Koda Bear's advice and sleep while travelling.  Sleeping between visiting with friends.  Sounds like a plan.  

together

I am not sure I should be writing now.  My head is hurting something fierce and I have a tendency to babble when it feels like this.  It may actually be the stress of the week is over causing my head to hurt.  The comedy of errors that is going on is astounding.  But I cannot do much about the comedy other then survive.  It is going to be interesting.

The quilt top I have been working on is together.  I now need to finish putting the back together.  I do not have a piece of fabric that I like to go with it that is the correct size.  But I can basically make a simpler quilt for the back.  Which I am working on.  I hope to have it finished it time for me to baste it without the help of Koda Bear.  He sneaks off with my safety pins!  You should see what he does with my button box!  Did you know straight pins and buttons become swords?  Koda Bear is a trip but it is much easier to baste the quilt without his help.  I just to make sure doughnuts are ready to be fried on Sunday.  I promised.

It will be a quiet weekend at my machine and wheel for me this weekend.  I will continue to be amazed at how large my pumpkins are getting.  And I was thinking about playing with lamination again.  Though I saw a crazy video with plain and chocolate laminated doughs with a chocolate filling that makes me wish to experiment.  I should have started something like that this morning so it may have to wait until next week.  It was mentioned to a chef this week that I bake a little bit.  As the story goes, he mentally rolled his eyes until he found out that I play with kouign amman.  I have difficulties spelling it and enunciating it at times but I do.  I was thinking about a cardamom roll or a croissant or a cornetti or . . .  Do not leave unattended butter and dough in my vicinity this weekend.  Which reminds me, I do think I need butter.

Some stitching is going to happen soon.  Black fabric is being washed because it is all I wish to wear.  Even though I picked up some flowered (floured :) ) linen.   Something  I have been looking for for years and found today.  When I wish to wear is dark colours.  I will wash it away and put it away until I feel like wearing colours again or have an event where black is not appropriate.  Very few places where black is not appropriate but you never now.

See.  I said I babble.