Stricken vs. Sticken

Stitching Bloggers' Question of the Week:

How do you explain cross stitch to non-cross stitching people?
Do they get it or do they say "Oh, right.. you do knitting then (or sewing, or needlepoint)?"

I don't try to explain cross-stitch to non-stitching people very often. However, I have lived in Germany for the past 2½ years and when I decided to take cross-stitching back up about a year ago, I quickly learned that I had to figure out a way to explain cross-stitching to people in German so I could find supplies!

I didn't have any trouble finding embroidery floss, but didn't even have the slightest clue as to the word for "cross-stitch" in German, and to make matters worse when I looked in my "Unabridged" German Dictionary the word wasn't even there! Of course, asking my husband (who is a native German speaker) was pointless, because at the time, he barely knew what cross-stitch was. His suggestion was "stricken," which is "knitting!"

One day I was in a very large department store and stumbled upon the sewing department. As luck would have it, they had a decent selection of stitching supplies. Not only did I buy things for my stash that day, I made notes of all the German vocabulary related to stitching that I came across.

At first I thought that "sticken" was the word I was looking for. Not only is "sticken" very close to "stricken" (which of course means I must be careful with my pronunciation so that the store clerks don't get confused), I later learned that "sticken" just means "to embroider." It wasn't until I came across the chart section that I found out that "cross-stitch" in German is "Kreuzstich" and is actually a literal translation (Kreuz = cross; Stich = stitch)! Armed with this knowledge, I now have very little trouble explaining what I do and what I want to store clerks.

Although about a month ago, I did find out the importance of correct pronunciation between "stricken" and "sticken." When I attempted to tell my mother-in-law that I did "sticken," she misunderstood me and offered to buy me a pair of knitting needles!

Cross-Stitch Dilemma

Here are the thoughts that led me to suggest this week's Stitching Bloggers' Question of the Week:

"Do you stitch small projects one at a time that you can finish quickly, have numerous large projects going at once that you rotate, or both? How does your current system work for you and have you thought about changing it?"

* * * * * * * * * *

I am facing a cross-stitch dilemma. I am considering completely changing the way that I cross-stitch. No, I don't mean the actual cross-stitching. I still cross-stitch from the bottom right corner to the top left and then from the bottom left to the top right.

When I learned to cross-stitch back in 1999, I did one piece at time until it was finished. I didn't have a big stash back then and I was still learning the techniques. Before my enormous 2½ year break from stitching I had begun larger pieces that I never finished... Works in Progress, if you will. I worked on something until I got bored and then started something new. When I picked my stitching back up last October, I had 3 unfinished projects that I finished before I started anything new.

At that point I told myself that I didn't like those unfinished projects and in order to avoid having more of them in the future, I decided to only stitch small projects that I knew I could finish before becoming bored. And that has worked well. Since last October I have completed close to 40 small projects.

But here is the thing. I have recently come across some large complex patterns that I really want to stitch. I have not yet started them because I am afraid I will get bored with them before I finish them. And here is where I am thinking about changing my cross-stitch style.

Most other stitchers out there (at least those who blog) seem to have numerous large and complex projects going at once. In order (I assume) to avoid getting bored with one particular piece they rotate them. And that is what I am thinking about doing. I really want to do the "Passing Admirers" and would like to work some more on my "Cat in Garden," in addition to doing a couple of Pam Kellogg designs. But the thing is, I do like to finish my projects.

So, after thinking about it, I decided to begin a rotation with two projects and leave myself room to do small projects as the desire arises. If it works out well, perhaps I will add more projects to my rotation.

Maternal Instinct and the Biological Clock

In all honesty, I have never had much a desire to become a mother. The mere idea of being pregnant makes my insides flip-flop. I think babies are cute when they smile and laugh, but when they cry or dirty their diapers... not so cute! Other people's kids are fine. I have a niece whom I adore and I feel extremely protective of my best friend's kids, even though I am wary of children that I don't know. A good friend of mine will have a baby in November and I'm really excited for her. But the idea of having my own and the life-long responsibility that goes along with it makes me shudder.

When I was a little girl, I hated playing "house," and I remember telling my friend Carla when I was six or seven that I didn't want to have babies. Even at 6, Carla wanted to be a mommy and in her infinite little girl wisdom assured me that when I got older I would want a baby.

At 15, my cousin, who is 2 years younger than me, couldn't wait to have a baby and become a mom. In fact, within two years she was one. Now 10 years later she has a happy family that includes three little girls. However, when she was 15 I remember telling her she was crazy because there was so much to see and do; so much life to live before becoming a mother.

When I was 19 and had my first serious relationship I doomed it by telling him that I was unsure if I would ever want to get married or have kids. Two and a half years later, I found out he was married and expecting his first child.

I then endured a five year relationship that ended in heartache and misery and when it was over, I thanked my lucky stars that we had no kids. The custody battle over the cats was bad enough.

By that time I was 25. Lots of my friends were married and either already had begun a family or were getting ready to do so. I questioned whether or not I even had maternal instinct when people told me that I would change my mind once I heard my biological clock or after I met "the one." I wasn't convinced, but thought anything is possible.

Well, now I'm 30 and I met "Mr. Right" three years ago. We enjoy spending time together and being able to do what we please when we want to do it and not have to worry about whether or not it is "kid-friendly" or if we have a babysitter. Maybe someday we will change our minds, but for now we are content with being child-free.

Sick Business at the Pharmacy

Friday afternoon I came across another one of those ridiculous things about Germany that both scandalize and amaze me.

I needed some hydrogen peroxide. In America, you can go to Wal-Mart, or even the corner convenient store, and pick up a pint (approx ½ a liter) for under $1.00. Not so in Germany. It is one of those items you must buy at the Apotheke (the pharmacy).

For my American readers that are confused, let me explain. There are no Wal-Mart pharmacies in Germany and over-the-counter drugs (or other similarly dangerous things like Hydrogen Peroxide and BAKING SODA) are only sold at pharmacies. Need some aspirin? Well, don't bother looking for it at Wal-Mart, cuz it ain't gonna be there!

Not only are these items only available at the pharmacy, you must request them from the man or woman behind the counter in the white coat and when you do, you get the third degree. What is it that you need? Why do you need it? What are you going to do with it? How much of it do you need? Personally, I don't think it is anybody's business why I need hydrogen peroxide, I just want some!

So on Friday, once A. and I finally convinced the woman behind the counter that we only wanted hydrogen peroxide for disinfection and not to make a hydrogen peroxide bomb, we came across another utterly repulsive thing: the price! 100 ml (a little more than 1/3 cup) of hydrogen peroxide was going to set us back almost 9 Euros! I nearly fainted! However, we really needed some, so after a lot of grumbling by me to A., we plunked down our money.

Two days later, I am still reeling in shock. It wasn't that we had to go the pharmacy, I was prepared for that. But even now, the price makes me sick to my stomach... but not too sick, I don't want to have to go back and find out how much Pepto-Bismol costs!

The Stand

Today I finished reading The Stand, Stephen King's epic of a post-epidemic apocalyptical future world.

The year is 1985 (the book was first published around 1980) and approximately 90% of the world's population has been destroyed by a sickness that is dubbed "Captain Trips." Those that are mysteriously immune to the superflu are humanity's last hope and as they are drawn together, dreams of an old woman and a dark man haunt them.

Two communities of survivors form, one in Colorado known as the "Free Zone" and one in Las Vegas. The diety-like figure of the Free Zone is the old woman, Mother Abigail, and as they begin to rebuild society, they become aware that the other community in Las Vegas, led by the dark man, is planning to wipe them out. Some members of the Free Zone are sent to Las Vegas where the final "Stand" is made.

I know that Stephen King is usually classified as a "horror writer," but I have never found his books to be all that frightening, and while I think he is a good story-teller, I find most of his books unbelievable. The problem with this is not that I don't like "fantasy," (I do!) but the fact is that the settings of his books make me want his stories to be believable. However, I didn't find that to be the case with The Stand. In my opinion, this story was not only believable, but also possible, and that was the most disturbing part of the book.

What I really liked in this book was the second part where the people begin gathering in Colorado and the way that they work together to start rebuilding society. A system of government forms, but many things that were cornerstones of the former society never reappear. For example, the institution of marriage is never formally re-introduced and the concept of money disappears.

There were a lot of religious undertones in the book. How can there not be in a story concerning the Apocalypse, right? But what the book boiled down to was a classic "Good vs. Evil" story. Who wins? Well, you will have to read it to find out... but remember the author IS Stephen King!

Buying the Classics

Today I went to my favorite English bookstore in Munich, Words' Worth, and spent quite a while browsing through the books.

I could spend all of our monthly rent money in there. Not so much because there are so many books I want (well, actually there are...) but because English language books in Munich are so damn expensive! On average, a paperback runs between 10 and 12 Euros. (current exchange rate 1 Euro = $1.21) Of course, part of this has to do with trying to make a profit on imported books, but it is so irritating to see what such a book would cost in US dollars and then have to spend so much more on it. I can't help but feel like I'm getting ripped off!

However, they do have a section of books that are decently priced. They are "Penguin Popular Classics" and "Dover Thrift Editions." The up side is that they tend to run 3,50 to 5,50 Euros per book. However, these editions do not offer popular fiction, but "classics." Luckily, not only was I an English major in college, I also liked the "classics." :)

Today I added Dickens's The Old Curiosity Shop and Wharton's The Age of Innocence to my ever-expanding "classics" collection. I have read neither of them before, so I am looking forward to enjoying some good Victorian fiction.

Passing Admirers

A while back I came across this at my local cross-stitch shop and fell in love with it:

© A. Pullen

At the time I didn't buy it because I normally like small and simple designs and this one is not only big by my standards (on 32 count linen it will be almost 10 x 14 inches), it is also pretty complicated.

But I liked it so much that I kept thinking about it. Today I was in the neighborhood and went into the shop. I figured with my luck they would have sold it, but it was still there. So I bought it. We'll see if I ever get up enough ambition to actually stitch it!