I’ve just been down to the picture framers to collect a cross-stitch picture, I stitched it years ago but it resurfaced during my sort out. It’s only small and may seem a little unremarkable, but I am particularly proud of this little picture. You see, it’s the only cross-stitch picture I’ve designed from scratch myself. I’ve done samplers many times, but they are fairly simple compared to a picture I think.

Catbells is one of the smaller fells in the Lake District, it’s one of my favourite places, I first climed it under my own steam when I was four, bribed along with Kendal Mint Cake! I once went up to the top to watch the sun rise, magical, the sun rose over Blencathra and the early morning mist over the lake turned golden orange…I digress!

I had a plan to make a cross-stitch of each of my favourite mountains, Catbells, Great Gable, Haystacks…I only got as far as Catbells, it’s the view across Derwentwater by Friars Crag, the pine trees are on Friars Crag, another very sentimental place for me.

I seem to remember I used two threads for the fell and the foreground, but one thread for the lake.