Saturday, October 01, 2011


I’ll have to be quick this morning – I want to watch the rugby.

Anonymous, I was startled, rather hurt and rather puzzled by your comment yesterday saying that I am two generations older than Kristie and Kath. I always thought a generation was reckoned as 25 years – that’s exactly how much older than them I am. I looked the word up just now: the OED says 30 years.

The photographs in Kristie’s blog entry make me look not so much old as crazy. It’s time I had my hair done.

I thought briefly of deleting your comment. Not much point in that – I am old, although not (yet) the centenarian you would have me, and there’s nothing to be gained by making too much fuss about it. I worked in my head for a while on a put-down, something on the lines of how you might need help if you ever tried the EPS, but abandoned that line of thought, too.

However, it set me thinking about the good old EPS. I have arrived at my stitch numbers for Jared’s Brownstone with no reference to Elizabeth – gauge times the size of the sample sweater Thomas sent to be measured divided by Jared’s instructions, sort of thing. But yesterday I ran the resulting figures past Elizabeth and was pleased to find that they fit pretty neatly.

Here are the sleeves, although as always I hate to have you see them looking so orange. They look orange through the viewfinder even before I press the shutter. The blue of Kristie’s wonderful yarn – mentioned yesterday, link above – has photographed beautifully. What is it about red? One day I will get to Franklin’s class and find out.


I mean to cast on the body during the match. That’ll be fun, even if the rugby isn’t.

17 comments:

  1. You are only ever as old as you think you are! I just prowled over and looked at your photograph - and would like to meet you more than ever!

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  2. JennyS9:12 AM

    Actually it doesn't matter whether a generation is "officially" 20 years or 25 or even 30 - if someone is the same age as your children then you are only one generation older than them!

    What a strange thing to have remarked upon. I remember when we met we met as equals - just two thoughtful adults :-)

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  3. Anonymous10:12 AM

    I can't bear to watch the game, my DH says being a Scotland fan is very character building, i think they'll win but not by enough btw
    jenny

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  4. Grrrrrrrr. Can't believe we lost, again.

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  5. Jean, re. photographing red ... will your camera let you set up a custom white balance? If so and you don't know how I'm happy to advise. Also, take your red pics in good daylight but not direct sunlight and don't use flash. And if you can use a grey background but have something white in the frame when you take the photo that you later crop out that will help too.

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  6. I thought you looked much younger in the pictures than you portray yourself on the blog.

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  7. rosesmama12:26 PM

    I thought that the new svelte you looked much younger! I am wondering how to mention this to my mother, who is a decade younger than you, but not so disciplined in her eating habits.

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  8. I agree with Suzanne - and anyway, two of my best friends are much older than me - and I don't care one bit! it's not the age that lets you get along great with people!!

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  9. Maureen in Fargo2:34 PM

    All I can say is that was a really rude comment and was probably meant as such for some unknown reason. There's always someone who just has to be mean! I'm a bit older than Kristie but never felt any age difference between us when we met and I do agree with JennyS that anyone the same age as your children is a generation younger. My best friend and knitting buddy is 20 years younger than me and we don't feel any age difference either.

    So, I'm wondering what pub you had lunch in and if I've been there....after you and I were together I met my husband and friends in a pub on Bow Street named the Bow Bar, not far from where the yarn shop is now located.

    I've had my best luck photographing red with a white background

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  10. What an uncouth remark; however, they made it under the cloak of anonymity, which speaks volumes.

    FWIW, I thought you all looked lovely and happy together.

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  11. Bless you Jean, you neither look old NOR crazy in her lovely photo. You look lively with the pleasure of meeting new friends and a shared interest.
    I enjoy so much your blog and reading your thoughts and about your knitting projects, it's like a visit with a thoughtful friend to look forward to almost every day, and one in which I can be totally relaxed, in my jammies or work clothes, or sick in bed with a migraine, no matter.
    If I had had a sister, I would have liked to pick you.

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  12. Why would the generation thing matter anyway? The wit displayed in some of your posts surely evidences a still lively mind. You, both, look great in the photographs.

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  13. Jean, I loved seeing your photos in Kristie's blog yesterday! After reading your blog for years now, it made me very happy to see an actual photo of you. Seeing it, I wished I'd been there too to spend the afternoon with you. You look candid and intelligent--just the kind of person I'd like to meet. Friendship is not about age--at 50, I am grateful to have both friends who are several decades older than I am, and others who are several decades younger. My life is richer that way.

    I'm glad you had a grand time and very sorry that someone's thoughtless comment should have hurt you.

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  14. Anonymity seems to let some people feel they have a licence to be rude or mean. I thought you looked much younger than you portray yourself on the blog. I am a couple of years older than Kristie, and if my mother were alive she'd be in her early nineties - does that make her two generations older than her child? Sheesh. I hope I'll be lucky enough to meet you in a knitting shop one of these days!

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  15. Robin5:41 PM

    I check your blog every day and was so glad Kristi let me "meet" you. I would have lived to be part of your outing.

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  16. =Tamar8:33 PM

    Gauge times the sweater divided by the instructions - LOL!

    In those photos you don't look mad either, just a bit startled.

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  17. Gerri in St Paul8:00 PM

    Well yesterday I had some cider in your honor, without even knowing about that rude remark. It was fun to think about knitters meeting up in a pub and enjoying laughs and cider.

    Age and what we look like...neither matters, it's how we laugh that counts!

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