Car Rant

It is just a tad annoying to ask when buying a basic sedan if it has any of those expensive to repair items, being told no, and then finding out it does.

We bought a small sedan about 18 months ago. Things were going well. Oil changes only need to be done about every 7000 miles which was saving a little money. Somewhere around 32K, starting hearing a brake noise sometimes. Rather than destroy a brake, it was taken to the shop. Dropped it off Friday evening so they could evaluate it. The plan was to get it back Saturday evening.

The first warning of trouble was finding out that yes, a caliper was sticking. So, new caliper, bleed the brake lines, something about rotors, oil change, and a battery coming to twice the expect bill. The next problem was a call later explaining, they got the box that claimed to hold the correct part but didn't. No one in town had it, it is now on overnight request. So, one vehicle for Monday.

Also, part of the call kicked up the delightful fact that the brakes on our car aren't the ones listed for it. No, we have the expensive kind. So, what part of say I don't want expensive performance tires, brakes etc. wasn't heard. Shall we just say there is a car sales man who should never talk to me again.

So, who puts parts on car that don't match the tech sheet? I guess I know the answer now.

Also, why are the parts in the boxes not the parts that go with the label? Who does that? They are just going to be returned and sit on the shelf.

Hopefully, we get the car back on Monday. Since we want to go in different directions Monday evening. It could get complicated with one vehicle.

Tit Bits

I knit 5 samples for the next Guild project. If you can't guess from the title, they are tit bits. The pattern is available from Knitty.com . The version I used is an adaptation which is done in one piece with 4 purl rows on one size of needles. I guess I could try using a smaller size for the underside. I might just do that for one.

Back to the samples. I made one A, two Bs, and one DD out of TrendSetter Yarns Scoubi Du, a cotton-rayon blend. I made one C out of Cotanani, a cotton merino blend. Both yarns are the hand wash only. All of them were knit on size 6 needles.

I decided to deal with the nipple before starting the decreases which I have decided is very wise. A 12 stitch opening doesn't provide much access. The stuffing was done with small amounts at a time. It takes a while to stuff a DD with little tufts of stuffing.

The two bigger ones have weights. I didn't think weights would be comfy for the smaller ones. The DD has a glass weight. One of the flat oval glass 'beads' used to arrange fabric flowers. The C has a small roundish stone.

The top photo is the front with the next photo showing the backs. The last photo of the C size modeling.

Sock Hop Sock

The Knitting Guild theme this month was 'Sock Hop'. Since, we meet at the library, music was out. Instead, people brought Holiday colored yarn to share for a whimsical stocking. Here is what I came up with from the Christmas colored yarn out of the exchange. I just couldn't get the gold and one green to blend in with the reds. Maybe they will be a miniature stocking later.

I started with 32 stitches and purled some of the rows because purl shows the fuzz better than knit stitch in the round. I used an afterthought toe heel and a spiral toe. Personally, I like it and plan to hang it up for Christmas. The other household reviews are:
Rudy thinks it is alright, not ugly like the first try.
Trinka thinks it could be a toy to roll on.
Freya thinks it is scary when held up.

Coeur d' Alene Lake

These were taken in June. Yes, it is August and I am really slow. If you ever decide to visit Idaho, this is what Lake Coeur d' Alene looks like the western shore area.

It really is a gorgeous lake and is really big. This is one bay or finger of the lake. If you really want to see how big it is, you need to look at a map. It takes a couple of hours to drive around partially due to size and partially due to winding roads with lower speed limits.

Unfortunately, with all the lake shore development, the road is a wee bit crazy because of all the vehicles on it. You use to be able to drive it without wondering who is going to pop out from each blind corner. It is still a beautiful drive, just be careful.