Knit Happens - FINALLY!

It's been a while since there's been time to knit. But I am gradually getting back on track, after spending untold hours messing with arrows and a chart for a Webs project, shopping for a new vehicle (I am between three) and just recovering from the Investment Property Experience
First, there is the Mother In Law Shawl, moving along, hopefully done by her birthday. I do think the striping overwhelms the lotus flowers, but I am willing to go with it becasue ripping right now would cause me pain. I love it in spite of the chaos. Or maybe because of it.
Next we have the Ram's Horn Jacket. What's that you say? This does not look like the Ram's Horn Jacket? Well, there is a reason for that. And a lesson. Ever hear the phrase "Measure twice, cut once"? Well, I have and generally I live by it in the other part of my life, the part that involves lumber and power tools. However, I
failed to utilize this in my knitting life this past week, and so ended up with a Ram's Horn Error. Spot-on for gauge. IF the stated gauge had actually been 4 sts per inch and not 5 sts per inch like it said in the pattern which I failed to re-check and so blindly cast on and got about 10 inches in before saying "Golly...this looks kinda wide..." In my self-disgust, I refused to get new needles and re-gauge. Instead, I flipped through the book and found something I liked that is written for 4 sts per inch. A compromise I am thoroughly thrilled with. I hope to be calling this "Pentagon Cardigan" by the end of the week. For now I still call it Ram's Horn, to keep it fresh in my mind - knit once, read twice.
Last, but by no means least, a new pattern, for retail sale eventually, currently called Colorful Tracks, though I am sure that will change. It is a feminine version of Make Tracks, with a much more girlie feel than the original, and a lighter weight and smaller gauge. I love it so far. It was supposed to be for Girl, but she does not love it. She said, in fact, "It's ok...." and everymother knows what that means. It will become strictly a sample. But a pretty one.

Now for those who've hung out and who care - the car issue...

1.) Leading the way in price, and therefore probably Mr W's fave, the Scion xA appears. Cute, not well known, but supposedly Toyota's "youth brand" - I told you I was not really 39 on the inside. It is basically a knock off Mini, complete with dash controls centrally located versus on and above the column, which might drive me nuts. It is cheaper. I like cheap. But I'd have to option on side curtain airbags and ABS. And the red is a good red, more like Honda red.
2.) Second in price but possibly first in my heart, the Honda Fit Sport. It has some safety features (standard) that I dig, and in the Sport trim line comes in a very cool orange color that makes Girl cringe and Mr Wonderful might refuse to drive it, so that'd be a plus - if no one wants your car, then it's really yours all yours! Problem: my last Honda, a 1995 Civic, I totalled in an un-fun March ice storm experience. For some reason, this has cauased me to feel queasy about Honda, which is completely unfair and too superstitious for a good Christian woman. God makes ice, not cars. That Civic also had some issues and really was a lemon in it's soul; odd things like fuel injectors that failed after only a few months on the road, and a disintegrating catalytic converter at about 30K miles that caused the muffler guy to stand there and say over and over "I've never seen anything like this...never....it's just disintegrating in my hands...unreal...". And odd things, like strange noises, and rocks in the brakes constantly that made the most horrible noise, and frequent visits to the shop for stuff falling off and not working right. This is totally out of the realm of normal for a Honda - my husband's two Civics (1992 and 2000) have been virtually unkillable. But it's still in my mind. Otherwise, I'd have to say my heart lies here.
3.) Highest in price - and tops in reliability, but last in standard safety features is the Toyota Matrix. It has a longer body by 10 inches than the Fit or Scion xA...but it costs a good $1500 - $2000 more. And their website has this rap thing that comes on as soon as you click on it, which bugs me - I hate the force-music-on-me thing. And if you have to force music on me, how about we make it something I actually LIKE???? And on top of that, the red is crappy and cheap looking, not a nice warm rich red, but a flashy too-bright candy red. No side-curtain airbags, no ABS both of which are standard on the Fit and Fit Sport.

All are 5 speed manual, all get 33-38mpg give or take, not my Prius, but also not $25,000! In overall lifetime expense and cost to drive, the Scion is cheapest over a lifetime, with the Fit and Matrix behind it in order. According to the EPA's Green Vehicle Guide, the Fit and the Matrix are Smart Way certified, with the Matrix ahead by one point on air pollution, but matched in greenhouse emissions...the Scion is good on greenhouse gas, but really bad on air pollution and is not Smart Way certified.

The longer I dwell upon this, the less and less I have interest in the Scion!