Knitting and driving?

No, I haven't tried knitting while I drive, but I have knitted while Tom drove.  So does that count?  Anyway, it’s snowing AGAIN! No one warned me about all the snow in Germany. Locals say this has been the snowiest winter they can remember. Yep, just my luck. The miata and I have discovered that snow tires don’t make much of a difference on a light front wheel drive car. Not that I’ve had any real problems, just some slipping and sliding but no accidents (thank goodness). Because of this, Tom spent the last few weeks “researching” 4wheel drive vehicles. The internet was hot with Tom checking, Consumer’s Report, Car blogs and web sites all over the world. In actuality, Tom’s got new car fever.

We considered 4 SUV vehicles:

BMW X1: Pros: It’s a BMW. The one I saw was drop dead gorgeous. It was love at first site. Cons: It’s a BMW and very expensive to repair after the warranty (as we know with Tom’s 330i). Also it’s very expensive to buy. Another con, it’s not available yet in US spects. The earliest it will be release in US is 12 to 18 months. Darn!

Volvo: Pros: It’s a Volvo and one of the safest vehicles on the road today. They are making great deals on 2010 Volvo SUVs. Cons: Expensive to repair after the warranty, it’s boxy, and every other vehicle in the parking lot at work is the same Volvo SUV in the same color.

VW Tijuan SUV: Pro: high reliability ratings, high owner satisfaction, interior designed by Audi. Stylish exterior. Cons: expensive (not as expensive as the BMW, but more than the Volvo). Special orders take about 90 days.

Rav 4: Pros: high reliability ratings, inexpensive compared to the other SUVs. Cons: No special orders, you have to take what’s on the lot (no upgrades), very plastic looking interior. Also everywhere you look, there’s a Rav 4 being driving by Americans. Even my Mother drives one.

So which one did we decide on….. The VW Tijuan, it’s on order with expected deliver date mid April. Of course I had to have all the bells and whistles. Color: White Gold.

Funny thing is, Tom keeps saying it’s my winter vehicle (as I’m keeping the Miata for summer) but he is already talking about when he’ll drive it.

So back to knitting: I’ve been working on various projects lately. The photos are of an afghan I’m working on. I love the colors, very bright. I’ve completed about half the squares and should finish the rest within a few days (especially if the snow keeps up). I’ve also got projects waiting in the wings to start. There’s a sweater pattern and yarn for Trina’s Christmas sweater (2010, not 2009). Trina expects a sweater every year. Wonder how many she has… One for every Christmas for the past 20 years and a few sweaters through in during the year, wow that makes for a lot of sweaters. Trina said she never gets rid of the sweaters; she wears them and so does Meghan.

Guess I’d better get back to knitting.