One of the embroidery projects I’m doing at the moment is a blackwork SAL by Peppermint Purple. It’s a freebie which lasts all year, one block each week. Rather than using her suggested colours I’m making life tricky by creating a picture at the same time, a view of Catbells in the Lake District.

Last time I shared it was in March!! – I didn’t realise it was quite so long!

I got a bit behind, partly I think because I keep going a bit hot and cold on my colour choices. I then have a bit of a break and with fresh eyes think it’s going OK.

Having stitched a few blocks when we went up to Northumberland and also started the outer pattern I had another hiatus whilst I pondered about how to do the reflection of Catbells in the lake in front. Over the last week I made a concerted effort to catch up and make some decisions…

The green row along the bottom of Catbells is Manesty woods along the edge of Derwentwater.

The outer basket-weave pattern is stitched with a Weeks overdyed thread, aptly called Sky. I’ve debated whether to continue the shape of the ridge to the left of Catbells and I think I will, I have a green-brown over-dyed thread which I think will work. The basket-weave pattern is surprisingly difficult to do, there seems to be no end of errors you can make – I’ve done more frogging on that area than the rest of the stitching put together!

The lake was my other issue. How to get the refection without going too light. I’ve decided to go with lots of shades of grey, blue-grey, green-grey, purple-grey…

I’m all caught up now, until tomorrow anyway as the next square is released then.