Journey: Day 7

When you saw this yesterday I'd started a road and like all roads this turned out to be quite the project. Aside from having to restrain myself not to make the split stitches in the edges far too big as I got closer to the edge of the image there was another challenge awaiting me.

I'd been wondering how to do the paving of the road for some time and it was when I was doing this week's Vakje per Week pattern that it came to me: Algerian eyelets! It would give exactly the texture I was looking for and could be made in more than just the one size.

Once I'd finished the split stitched edge I started with 2 threads of DMC L822 and made the Algerian eyelet 6 x 6 threads for the first 8 rows. Then I did 7 rows (still using 2 threads) of 4 x 4 eyelets and then I took a huge breath, swapped to just one thread and did the last Algerian eyelets over 2 x 2 threads making each part of the stitch over 1 thread - scary stuff for me as I'd never gone that small before with any stitch. I did 13 rows of the 2 x 2 size and I was not really able to make my camera take an in focus photo of the smallest stitches - even with the macro setting.

Well except for the little bit you can see at the edge here, but I wanted to show you just the tiny stitches on their own. Ah well... at least you can see them!

And this it is in all its glory! I have to say that the road is more obvious in real life but it was always meant to be pale and not too far away from the background in colour. The other road does not want to be a road - I keep thinking river - I'm not sure if I'll go actual river or dried up river bed yet, both are calling to me. Time will tell what it becomes.

That's all for now, I hope you enjoyed today's progress. I will see you tomorrow when I *might* have another journey update and when I certainly will have my usual WIP Wednesday post.