As many of you know, my washing machine broke down last month. It actually isn’t my washing machine, but my landlord’s. He bought a brand new set for my use when I moved in here 10 years ago and it’s been a faithful set through the years until it stopped agitating and spinning.

The first couple of weeks, I called to see how much it would cost to repair. My landlord is gravely ill, and I didn’t want to bother him with the needed repair. Plus, when I rented from him, my lease held me liable for the repairs of the washer and dryer. I know that if he wasn’t ill, he would have probably done the repairs himself as he works on major appliances for a living, but knowing his condition, I didn’t feel right calling him to take a look at it.

Most places I called wanted $70 just to drive over, then cost of part and hourly labor charges on top. I figured it would end up costing around $250 to fix a $20 part. From what I could figure out, the coupler had broken. It’s not a very big part, but does so much, like agitation and spinning out all the water. Spurg and I just sucked it up and he would go to the Laundromat every weekend after I sorted out all the clothes to make sure we all had clean clothes to wear. (What a man, the things he will do for his family! Now if I can teach him that when I have whites in one pile and colors in another, it means two separate loads, even if they are small loads, sigh.)

During the month without my trusty washer, I went through fiber with-drawls. Normally I don’t think of my washer as a fiber tool, but without it, I realized how vital it is to playing with wool. More specifically, felting wool and washing fleeces. But I still found it hard to justify paying $70 to have someone drive up to my house.

Yesterday, Spurg tells me that someone he knows at the gas station knows someone who can fix it. Spurg had no other information for me. Now, there are some in this town who will try to fix things and get paid, but really can’t fix anything. I was thinking that this was one of those people and I was very skeptical. I got a phone call from this person, a woman.

Okay. First, I wasn’t expecting that. I described what wasn’t happening and told her that I suspected it was the coupler. She was amazed that I even knew what that was. Then she asks if I want her to come over after work or the following day. I opted for the following day. Then I was floored when she said it would only cost $50. For everything.

She showed up today. Skinny little thing. She opened that washer like it was a can of soda. She got down in there and in minutes had the broken coupler out and the new one in. We got to chatting while she was doing her thing and I found out something very interesting, the repair service was part of a training program through an alcohol and drug recovery program, and she was one of their clients. (All the money from the repairs go right back into the training program.) Wow. More power to her!

Her name is Rosita, and I have never met a more down to earth woman who really enjoyed what she was doing. Turns out she lives just down the street from me and walked to my house, with her tool belt in hand. I mentioned to her that I needed to replace the vent hose on my dryer from the plastic one my landlord installed to the aluminum one that’s much safer. She told me that she’ll give me a call next week and do it for nothing, she has the vent hose I need and it’s not a problem.

So the repair cost $200 less than we anticipated. Spurg and I asked if the program accepted donations, and we made one. I’m all for anything that helps people turn their lives around. Even our neighbor took one of her cards. She repairs all major appliances.

Now that I can use the washer for felting again, I’m feeling a serious need to. Unfortunately, I don’t have anything ready for felting, because in my insane reasoning, I decided not to knit anything that needed felting since I couldn’t use the washer to felt. Now I have a pair of socks to finish by this weekend…… and I think I have a good idea of what my next project will be. Something feltable.