Happy Christmas

From Basil and Flo!!

I've got a cold bum!!

We went to the Fort today and mummy wanted to take a picture of me. Well, that's understandable but I had to sit IN THE SNOW!!!! OK, she put my cute scarf on but my bum got cold :-(

Mummy says it looks pretty. SHE doesn't have to walk in it with bare paws....

And look at this!! I usually swim in here but not today. Mummy wouldn't even let me go near it. She says it's dangerous. I suppose she has a point.

Anyway, I'm done with snow now so please take it all away. I'm just waiting for Santa now. I think he's already been though as there are yummy smelling things in the spare room. Maybe with the snow he's delivering early. I should be able to have the goodies now in that case, shouldn't I?

XX D

Boo! Lick or Treat...

I am Count Digey-la. I bet you are very scared to see me! Note my realistic fangs and black eyeliner. Mummy said we couldn't go round the streets as I'm too little so we went to nanny's to lick or treat. I got bikkies and spam but I still gave nanny a big lick!

I look really scary in my costume. Mummy got it at Chessington. Don't suppose I'll get to wear it again for a while though.

Don't be too scared though, I'm not a REAL vampire. Had you fooled though, didn't I?!

XX D

What about me??

When mummy's at school I don't get any lunch. How is that right??? Hmph.

XX D

Busy busy busy!!!

Wow! It's been a hectic few weeks!!!!! Well, I'm now a proper student at London South Bank University studying diagnostic radiography. Cool! I've completed the first 5 weeks of my course and I'm loving it. I'm not so sure about the physics though - I haven't done any classes in physics since 1982 (before half my class were even born!!) so I'm just a bit rusty. We do have an excellent (and VERY patient) lecturer though so it's going ok. I have my first clinical placement starting in just over a week so if you're thinking of breaking a bone, best not do it in the Dartford area until December!!

I'm also enjoying (!) the thrills of C2C and London Underground. Having always had jobs where I could walk or drive, taking the train is something of a novelty. And boy are there a LOT of steps on the tube network!! Still, I'm not only going to have a professional qualification at the end of my course but also thighs of steel so it's not all bad!

Back to the books now. Wish me luck in Dartford!!

I'm on my holidays!!

I would have blogged before but mum says O2 mobile broadband is rubbish. well, she didn't say 'rubbish' but apparently I'm not allowed to use the word she did.


Here I am with my mum on the Malakoff. That's mum's favourite view, ehind us. Funny, I thought she liked looking at ME best.

And here I am on the beach. I like the beach.

I got a bit of daddy's pasty yesterday. I can't have a whole one for some reason. I don't know why. I could definitely eat a whole one.....

XX D

No new blanky for me, I see

Just because I rip them up, that's no reason for her not to knit one for me. Good job they are taking me to the seaside soon or I would have to sulk. Can't wait for my holiday *happy dance*

XX D

I'm rather proud of this...

My latest knitted shawl. I don't care if I'm bragging, I think I'm clever!!!!!! Tee Hee ;-)

Sorry! I've been busy......

Well, after buying all that wool you couldn't expect me not to want to knit any of it, could you? ok, so I haven't actually made anything with THAT wool yet (although I have started a shawl....) but here's a few bits I finished recently.


This is a cardi I made with some fab wool from Joanns in America. I loved this pattern - the body is knitted in one piece and then the sleeves are picked up and knitted in the round. No sewing up!! Woohoo!

This is a shoulder shawl, made from sock yarn. It's actually a semi circle (I folded it for the picture!) and by the end you have a RIDICULOUS amount of stitches on the needles.




This is a kit mum got me for Christmas (after some subtle hinting on my part...). I do like a rainbow.




This is known as 'knitting crack' on www.ravelry.com! It's 'Ishbel' by Ysolda Teague and a deceptively simple lace shawl. Why the nickname? Well, it's so simple and so pretty, as soon as you finish one, you want to knit another!! And, yes, mum has already suggested that she might like one....


Well, back to the needles.......

SHE'S off buying wool

and I don't get any lunch. Not a thought for MY tum. Hmph.

XX Digey

OOOH my feet hurt....

But not as much as my wallet!!!!!

I went to Knit Nation at Imperial College, South Kensington. Wow! What a lot of lovely woolly balls all in one place! I brought home as much as I could but there is still lots left!! I got some GORGEOUS red cashmere, some scrummy merino wool and bamboo and a dyeing kit to have a go at colouring my own wool. Look out for a multi-coloured Digey some time soon.....

Here's a close-up of my new needle case for travelling with needles and not breaking them (I hope) and my snazzy new buttons. Just got to knit something to sew them on....

Oh, and another close-up. Just in case you missed anything!

Wish I could go again tomorrow.......

You asked so.....

Here are some more Harry Potter pictures, especially for Dee and Jo!! Enjoy :-)

Inside one of the shops.

Inside Honeyduke's sweet shop. I had a hard time getting Colin out of here.....

A view down the main street of Hogsmeade

Zonko's joke shop

Hagrid's cottage

Shops in Hogsmeade

That should keep you going for a while! If you want to see any more.....you'll have to go to Florida - LOL!!

Did I go to Florida, or did I go to......

Harry Potter land was not due to open until the day we came home but we were lucky enough to get a sneaky peak the week before. We had heard that they may be having a 'soft opening' and we happened to be at Islands of Adventure at just the right time. We joined a big crowd begging the officials to let us in and they finally relented as long as we promised to 'walk slowly and NOT RUN'!! Well, we did and it was sooooo worth it - just like stepping into a film set.

We saw a young boy being chosen to receive his wand, we saw Hagrid's Cottage and went on the flight of the Hippogriff.

Of course, we saw the Hogwat's Express, although it wasn't going anywhere. Mind you, I didn't really want to come back to London!!

We also had fish and chips in the Three Broomsticks although we turned down Butterbeer and pumpkin juice in favour of lemonade!

Oh, I've got LOADS more piccies but blogger is being difficult. Maybe I'll upload more later. I couldn't do any while I was away as Windows decided to launch a MAHOOOSIVE update and my poor little netbook's teeny brain couldn't cope. It sat in the drawer and refused to switch on. My IT guru (aka Colin!!) is on the case but it hasn't come out of hiding yet.....

AND guess who sat beside me on the plane coming home??? Well, yes, Colin but ALSO - Dumbledore!! Yes, Sir Michael Gambon was sat in the next suite to me in Upper Class (did I mention we flew upper class? Oh, I did?!). Mind you, I wished he wasn't during the night - the man has rather bad sinus issues!! Ginny Weasly was also on the flight but didn't seem too happy and kept her head under her duvet for most of the flight.

When we landed at Gatwick the trolly dolly announced that we were pulling onto gate 9 3/4 - Colin said that was good as we wouldn't have far to walk. Bless him!

Well, it's nice to be home and out of the 101F temperature and it's good to have my Digey back but if anyone wants to swap washing baskets with me, let me know....!

Not a bad view from a Florida hotel room!

We are staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge now. We wanted to stay here for the whole of our holiday but they didn't have enough nights available so we are having to move around a bit. It's so worth it though as this is genuinely the view from our balcony this afternoon!

I have always wanted to stay here and thanks to DVC building some vacation rooms here we have finally made it. And it was worth the wait. The themeing of the whole place is amazing and to see animals out side your bedroom window is incredible. We have a deluxe room and a choice of restaurants, 2 pools, 4 spa pools - this is my kind of safari!!!!!!

Looking forward to seeing more animals tomorrow, there are zebra, impala, wildebeest, vultures and lots more. Can't wait!

I'm on holiday!

Tee Hee!!

Cats go to London to look at the Queen.

Dogs go to look at elephants!! This one is called 'Simply Yellow'. Mummy said that's just like me, especially the simply bit. Don't know what that means.

We walked along the Queen's Walk. I didn't see the Queen, even if she was walking. You'd think she would have been there with her corgis but she wasn't. There were soooo many new things to smell I was kept very busy. Then we went into the Galleria and mummy and daddy had chicken and cheese bagels with barbeque sauce. I wanted one with sausage but no one asked me. I got a bit of mummy's though (not a very big bit...)

We walked across Tower Bridge. Mummy said it's fun to stand on either side of the gap at the middle and wait for a big bus to go past. I didn't think it was much fun. I preferred paddling in the water I found near that Galleria. I love having wet paws. I wanted to go for a swim in the big river. I kept pulling daddy over there but he wouldn't let me go in. I don't see why not. Anyway, he can swim so he could have come with me. He's no fun.

We met some men from America who had 4 labradors at home. They said they were missing their doggies and asked if they could fuss me. I let them. I'm good like that.

Then we came home and I FINALLY got my lunch :-)

XX Digey

It's a jungle out there!

Colin had a day off today so we went elephant hunting again. We started off in Baker Street where we found Sherlock Holmes.




Then we went to Selfridges. We saw six there but we couldn't find Gerald!! We found the Emerald Queen though and yes, those are REAL emeralds on her head! No wonder that one's not outside on the streets!!!

Then we went to Covent Garden and saw another six, including this one. Not the first one of those I've ever seen!!!!

We went down to the embankment and saw 2 by Cleopatra's Needle and a few more by the London Eye, including James Bond!

Then we wandered down to Waterloo where there just happens to be a fine knitting shop....

Then it was home time. I don't know if we will get to go hunting again but it's been a lot of fun.

Oh I do like to be.....

Beside the seaside!!!!

Mummy and Daddy took me to Leysdown yesterday for my first dip in the sea of the year.


I had sooooo much fun - I did racing through the waves....

I did jumping over the breakwaters......

I did fetching stuff......

And I had a picnic lunch. There's no piccy of that cos mummy says her camera only goes up to 1/3000th speed and that's not fast enough to catch me eating. Dunno what she means by that??

XX Digey

I've been shooting elephants!

Only with my camera though!!!!


We went up to London yesterday to hunt for the elephants from Elephant Parade 2010, an art installation to raise awareness of the risk to elephants worldwide. The elephants are on display all over London until 23rd June and then will be auctioned to raise money for the cause.

Mrs Stripe - Hyde Park

We got to Selfridges at 10:50 to see the ones in there. Unfortunately it didn't open until 11:30!! We therefore decided to walk down to Marble Arch and Hyde Park. We saw several in Hyde Park and then walked on to Green Park, where there were lots more.

Kissed by Lulu Guiness (and me, wishing I could take it home!!)
Carnaby Street

We then hopped on the train back to Oxford Circus. We saw some more in Cavendish Square and Carnaby Street and then we walked down to Picadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square. After that we went on to St James Park.

Rangoli in Cavendish Square

After a sit down (and cake) in House of Fraser at Victoria we decided to call it a day and come home.

Dazzlephant in Hyde Park

We saw over 50 elephants (and walked MILES, wish I'd remembered my pedometer!!) and had lots of fun but as there are 258 in total (including one at Heathrow Terminal 5) I don't think we'll manage to see them all! Still, we will go back again to hunt some more. When our feet have recovered!!!!!

Silly dog

Digey has bothered his wound so much he has managed to infect it! So he couldn't have his stitches out (well, the ones that are left...) and is now on antibiotics. Good job he's insured! The vet wanted him to have a lampshade but I didn't think any of us could cope with that so he's in one of Colin's old t-shirts. Well, technically it's MY t-shirt as I was given it when I bought a dive computer. As if I'd wear it!!!!! I never liked Colin wearing it so I'm quite pleased Digey has it now. I don't think Colin will want it back.....

Back to the vet tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

Look at me!

I've got a sexy t-shirt!

We went to the vee ee tee on Monday and I was supposed to have my stitches out but they didn't do it. Something to do with me pulling one out or something. I thought I was helping. Anyway, now I have to take some tablets and stuff and I have to wear this. Daddy wasn't very pleased as it's his but mummy was as she never liked daddy wearing it. Don't know why....

XX Digey

Fatty lump??!! Hah!

It was a 'gator bite. I was swimming in the lake and it got me but I single pawedly fought it off with no thought for my own personal/doggonal safety.

XX Digey

Ok, Digey, if that's what you want to tell people.......

My brave little soldier

Digey has his lump removed on Friday. It was not a serious lump - just a 'fatty lump', quite common in labs. He was feeling very sorry for himself that evening and couldn't get comfy. He's found a way to sleep now without laying on it!!

We went back to the vet today and she said it was looking good. Since then he's found a way to worry at it and made it bleed. Dogs!! So now he's wandering about in his England t-shirt and looking peeved.

Hurry up and get better, Digey

It's mummy's birthday today!

Happy birthday mummy, I won't tell anyone you're 44, your secret's safe with me. Hope you liked the bag with a piccy of me I got you.

Love Digey
XXXXXXXXX

Just in case

You've forgotten what I look like, here's a picture

Nuff said!

XX Digey

OMG I touched a peel off!!!!!!

AND they made me do decoupage! Despite all this I had an amazing day at http://www.pinnaclecrafts.co.uk/. I went to the alcohol ink lesson with the talented Andrew and I had a great time, although a bit messy.

We coloured peel offs (yes, I touched one, well two actually!) with alcohol inks. Even I have to grudgingly admit that they looked good but will I be buying any? Hmmm, well the jury's out on that one......

The background is actually the waste from a crossword peel off (I keep using that phrase...), I never would have thought of doing that. The card's not finished but I think it looks good so far.


Then we used an item I'm sure we ALL have in our crafting stash - shaving foam!!!! What a mess but amazing results. Marred somewhat by having to do my first ever piece of decoupage - LOL! The shaving foam technique is incredible, it looks like a right mess but the results are fascinating. Colin may have to grow a beard.

Happy Easter! Alcohol inks are SO versatile. This is just a simple plastic egg but it looks much more exciting now. I did have to draw the line at sticking a peel off on it though. Well, there's only so much shiny sticky stuff I can take in one day.

Pinnacles have a new till and the old till rolls don't fit. So, 12 feet of paper and a lot of inking later we all had a beautiful rose each! Now, where can I buy till rolls....??

Roll on April 17th and Tim Holtz day!! Better get my rubber gloves ready though, I don't think my nails will ever be the same again!!