Knitting at Herbie Dog Digs

While skulking around the internet a few months ago, I found the website Drive-In.com. It's a really cool list of both operating and closed drive-in's throughout the United States. As we have only been in Columbus for two years and don't remember seeing a drive-in during our past exploration of the city, I typed in our zip code. Low and behold, we are a mere 18.2 miles from South Drive-In! An operating drive-in right under our noses!

Since finding the website, we (well, mostly me) have been talking about going to the drive-in. The kids were pretty hyped up about it (me and my big mouth) and had resorted to asking almost daily when were were going. Hubby has never experienced a drive-in as well. That's right - I was the only experienced drive-in-er in the family. Hubby had never been bowling as well when we first met. Maybe it's just the Buffalo in me - these were rights of passage growing up - drive-in movie theaters and moonlight bowling. I could tell Hubby was not thrilled about sitting in an SUV for five hours, using public restrooms and paying $7 for a bucket of popcorn but he was willing to give it a try for the experience value.

So, we loaded the kids in the car last night along with our Google directions, cooler (yes, you can bring sodas and food in!), pillows and, of course my knitting and headed south on the 670. We arrived in plenty of time as the website said the first show started at 8:50 pm....uh, try 9:15. Guy at the ticket booth was really nice (albeit mostly toothless) but had that midwesterner hospitality that I've come to enjoy in this area of the country. There were only twenty or so other cars that had come out to enjoy a beautiful Monday night at the drive-in.

South Drive-In definitely has seen better days. It's a two screen facility in a not-so-fantastic part of Columbus. The wear and tear is evident on the place and it was almost a step back in time. The kids were dismayed that they were going to have to stay in the back seat and complained of not being able to see. They both blew through three cans of Pepsi a piece during the first movie so you know what that meant - bathrooms were imminent by intermission. Bathrooms at the South Drive-In are in need of a serious overhaul - ew. Intermission was about 3 minutes long so we missed the start of the second feature. By the midway point of the second feature (Harry Potter), we all were pretty cramped with my son exclaiming he's never coming back.

I understand now why drive-in's are dying out. How can these places compete with mega theatres, 50" home plasma screens, etc. The upside is the price - $8 for an adult and $1 for kids under 12. And you get to see two movies. Last nights feature was G-Force (story about special agent hamsters that save the world) and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Pretty cheap night out for the family and we got to see the top two rated box office movies in one night (G-Force was much cuter than I expected). There are definitely some improvements cosmetically that they could make to the property to heighten the visitor's experience but you have to wonder if it would really make a difference.

Not sure if this family will ever see a drive in movie again but overall, it was fun and nostalgic. Then again, when next summer rolls around, I'm sure the kids will have forgotten how much they were cramped, etc and beg to go again! Now, to convince Hubby..........ha!

Finally, the rain has lifted and the sun is shining gloriously this morning!

Did I mention that I am an addict? Yes, a fiber addict. I buy embarrassing amounts of yarn. Our mail person must think I am insane as I continuously receive packages that are squishy soft and pillow sized. In my defense, rarely do I pay full retail for any yarn. I furiously clip coupons from the Sunday paper for Joann Fabrics when I need some regular cotton yarn, or internet shop looking for the best deals on the yarn I HAVE to have. You'll notice my list of haunts to the right - these are the sites I frequently troll looking for the best deals.

Because I hunt for such great deals, most of the time either the yarn or the colorway is/was retired...which causes me to buy much more yarn than I could ever use on a project lest I run out during the last two inches of a sweater and being unable to find more. This approach/mentality to yarn buying has turned our spare bedroom into a mini LYS.

Which leads to the reason for this post. Yesterday afternoon, when the sun finally popped out for the first time in days, I took photos of Friday's mail delivery. Two packages of yummy yarn!

*The blue is the new Berroco Vintage Wool in the color Gingham. Broke one of my rules on this one and bought three hanks at full retail. Ouch. This yarn just came out to much fanfare. I read so much about how wonderful it was that I just had to have it. I can happily say that it didn't disappoint.
*The gray yarn is labeled the steal of the day. It was marked down over $6 per skein! Bought from one of my favorite UK yarn websites - Cucumber Patch. Rowan Yarns - Cashmere Tweed is 90 percent cashmere, 10 percent silk = 100 percent satisfaction from me! I love this yarn as it has tiny tweed flecks of pastel colors. Love it so much that after I took these photos, I ran back to Cucumber Patch and order some more....Sick, sick, sick!


Oh, and what am I working on right now? Yes - more two needle socks. Somebody stop me!

Egads. More rain for central Ohio. Yesterday was almost two inches. Woke up to fog soup this morning. More rain predicted for tomorrow. Ugh.

My entire garden is loving this whole thing. I have more cucumbers on the vine then one family could possibly eat. It's led me to research bread and butter pickle recipes on foodtv.com. I always thought you had to grow "special" cucumbers for pickles. Apparently, no. And, supposedly, they can be done in the microwave? I think I'm going to give it a whirl as in about two weeks, we will have to do some serious picking. I finally picked our lone green pepper as well. Didn't expect much as we only planted two pepper plants but only one pepper at a time? It's flowering again but at this rate, you'd have to plant a dozen plants just to make stuffed peppers.

The rain has left us tons of time for knitting. When I say "us", I mean I always have company. Sabrina changes projects and direction as quickly as I do. She is learning how to rib (k2, p2) to make herself a pair of fingerless gloves to go along with her new two-needle socks that Mom (yours truly) just finished (photo above). I must say, one should always have fingerless gloves to match ones socks, no? Anyhoo - loving this whole two needle thing a bit too much. As I posted earlier, I am a dolt with double pointed needles (stretches my comfort zone just to knit an I-cord).

Lastly, I have posted photos of a pattern I just finished (still on the fingerless glove theme). Another kick I am on is knitted leaves...and I have no idea why. Just love the way the leaves seem to "pop" out of the knitting. Love the way they turned out (and in 100% cashmere...Ooooo) and was toying with posting the pattern for free on Ravelry. Any opinions? Interest?

Made some great project progress yesterday afternoon and last night! Finished the shrug for my daughter (pic to come) as well as the two-needle socks I was working on for me (photo above)! Two big checkmarks in the completed column! Yah! My son declared the socks to be "a fine piece of workmanship". He is eleven and such a goofy kid - and, yes, he really talks like that.

One step closer to Fall knitting of hats, mittens, gloves and scarves (although I have my eye on starting the "Sexy Vest" (free post of Ravelry). Before I even start a pattern now, I look at the Ravelry project progress to see what yarn people are using and what success rate they have had. It has saved me huge amounts of time with false starts. Almost everyone that has reviewed "Sexy Vest" raves about the ease of the pattern to follow and I think I have enough of the incredible Sublime yarn. Received six balls in the mail on Saturday in Aubergine - which is a beautiful purple with brown undertones.

Was also on Ravelry yesterday reading reviews of the new Berroco yarn "Vintage Wool". Again, in complete trust of the savvy Ravelry knitters, I ran to Ebay and bought six skeins of two shades of green. At over 210 yards per hank, I can see the possibility of more vests for the Fall season.

We've had quiet a bit of rain as of late in central Ohio and the dogs are a tad house happy (not to mention the humans!). This morning we had them out before the predicted afternoon thunderstorms begin again.

Stitch (the silver dapple) is 6 years old and we bought him from a wonderful breeder in Oregon. He is a great representation of the dachshund breed - calm, very attached to his family, good with kids, a bit worried during thunderstorms (adding to the house happiness mentioned above - lots of hiding in the deepest recesses of the pantry, wimpering).... We moved to Ohio over two years ago and wanted him to have a friend. Enter Oscar into the scene as a Christmas present from hubby in 2008. Wow - stellar opposite to Stitch. Oscar is a livewire. Runs everywhere and a non-stop PIA for Stitch. Wants to play constantly and, Stitch, being a little on the chubby side, cannot keep up with him. Attached is a picture of Oscar trying to get Stitch to chase him through the yard.

They are back in the house now, barking non-stop as my daughter has a friend over. Just kicked the kids outside for a little peaceful knitting time.

....my Japanese quilt needs to be finished! I have been working on this for two plus years - that's right - years. I needs about 4 hours worth of work. It is going to be fabulous when completed but too small for my queen size bed - more like a twin sized. So, instead of spending four more hours searching for more fabric to buy on Etsy and Ebay, I need to drag myself to Joann Fabrics today, buy the dang thread I need and finally put this puppy to rest!

I am on a quest to finish the scores of unfinished projects lying around the house...and there are a ton of them! Most of them only need an hour or so worth of work to finish so I promised myself that I cannot start my Fall knitting until these projects are done! Project to complete are:

*The second slipper sock - I found a great two needle sock pattern as I cannot knit with four double pointed needles to save my life! I have one sock completed in a yummy yarn called Jaeger Roma (now discontinued). Two evenings and I finally should have a completed pair

*Shrug for my daughter - Found an easy shrug pattern on Ravelry called "shrug this". Miscalculated the size (was originally for me) so in less than two hours, this should be complete for Sabrina's back to school wardrobe

*Shrug for me - Purchased Berroco pattern called "Ezra". Used Jaegar Roma but this time with not so great results. Expended a lot of energy on this and it's a bit odd fitting. Need to block this and try to salvage

*Two fingerless mits - Both are my own pattern that I want to post on Ravelry. They are completed but need to take pictures and write up the pattern. One was completed on this incredible handspun cashmere I found on Etsy.

Finally...In the photo above, my labor of love this summer - a knit purse. I don't even like knit purses but started this on a whim. And I love how it came out! It's finally complete (even lined!) and I need to spend fifteen minutes sewing a snap in it so closes.