pedgill

Verb

 * 1)  To work hard and painstakingly at something; to plod or persevere.
 * 2) * D. H. Lawrence, The Rainbow
 * But at drawing, his hand swung naturally in big, bold lines, rather lax, so that it was cruel for him to pedgill away at the lace designing, working from the tiny squares of paper, counting and plotting and niggling.