Good News, Bad News and a HAT!

The good news is I'm loving having the shop open.  People drop in (and sometimes buy things too) and have a chat and maybe a coffee with me. It is also giving me a bit more routine to my life, and I have to get up at a reasonable hour at least three mornings a week! It is a pity it's not nearer (a 60K round trip) but that's just the way it is - which leads me on to...

...the bad news... which is that I have had a little bit of a problem with the car.

In fact, it had to be towed away this morning after I broke down on a busy road between Bellac and Mézières-sur-Issoire. Let me explain...

On Thursday the oil light and little buzzer came on, so I put what little oil I had left in.  On Friday evening it did it again, but then went off, so I thought I just hadn't put enough oil in... Today I went into Mézières to the Post Office and when I was halfway there the light etc came on again!  So I pulled into the parking and trotted off to buy some oil.  I duly put it in and checked the dipstick.  It seemed to have oil all over it, so I assumed there was plenty in.  Off I went to Bellac and, halfway there... you've guessed it! So I turned off the road and put some more oil in.  When I restarted and got back on the road there was a strange noise from the exhaust and clouds of dense white smoke.

To cut a long story short, the breakdown man shook his head sadly, and said there was much too much oil in. As is the way in France he spoke, not to me, but to my friend, Duncan, who had come out to see if he could help. I explained that Duncan did not speak French, but it made no difference! I explained about the oil light but to no avail...

So, Duncan ran me home, and here I am, cut off from the world without my car. Life in the country is not all wildflowers and beautiful sunsets!

The Hat

Enough about the car!  On to THE HAT...

Tired of making mittens, I made this hat, in chunky yarn, yesterday evening...



Personally, I hate hats with a clingy rib, as they always seem to work their way up and end with sitting on the top of my head like a Smurf hat - so I made this one with the double rib edge, and all on the same size needles.  The yarn is one I bought from a friend, and is called Country by Omaghi.  It is 50% wool, 10% Alpaca and 40% acrylic.

I'm writing the pattern, and it'll be on Ravelry soon.