Hello, here is my new hair, and my new cardigan.
For quite a while it has been obvious (to me at least) that my hair was no longer naturally brown, but grey. I got to a point a few months ago when I was just tired of the continual touching up. What might my hair look like if I just stopped piling on the L’Oreal? So I let my roots grow out a little, then (once we had completed the photography for Shore – my Milarrochy Tweed collection of simple summer patterns, the last of which I published yesterday) I decided I was going to cut my hair quite short.
A few weeks ago I just took Tom’s hair clippers, and shaved my head.
I’m surprised by how much I like the result.
I was concerned that my hair might have a peppery appearance, but, apart from a few residual brown areas at the back of my head and around my temples, most of my hair seems to be growing out a nice silvery shade. I will probably continue wearing my headwraps on occasion (they keep my ears warm, and add interest to an outfit) and I have not quite decided, yet, whether (or when) to grow this very short crop out. But whatever I decide to do, I honestly feel much more comfortable with my new hair than with the unevenly-dyed, sometimes-veering-on-the-obviously-dyed brown mane.
All of this is, of course about managing my style, enjoying my style, feeling comfortable with my style, in these, my middle years.
I’m 45! I’m grey. That’s grand.
Which is one reason I was all the more confounded that the response of some of you to yesterday’s post was to immediately assume that I was pregnant.
No: actually, I’m just silvery-haired and menopausal! Congratulations to me!
In all seriousness, though, it would never occur to me that an off the cuff remark about a change in appearance might lead anyone to assume that I was having a baby. Perhaps that is because pregnancy is, and always has been, so far off my radar that those cultural cues just don’t signify for me.
Sometimes I meet people who, knowing what has happened to me, assume that childlessness is part of what they regard as my post-stroke “tragedy.” This is more than mildly infuriating. I had a stroke: I have no children. Neither of these facts, either alone or together, would make me someone to be pitied. I’m not a victim or a tragedy. I’m just a disabled woman without children, who, actually has never had any desire to have a child. That’s me, and I’m just fine.
But I also know other women who do want children but whose own situations of ill-health or disability complicate the prospect of maternity. While it is a matter of complete indifference to me personally, childlessness is also associated with loss, grief and pain for many women. Because of that, I would probably pause before congratulating a woman who made a chance remark about her change in appearance on the happy event I assumed to be forthcoming.
But as it happens, I am in fact, heartily amused, and not the least offended by the response of some of you to yesterday’s post. I am very sorry to disappoint you with my haircut, and not my baby, but hey ho, here you are.
Finally, to the other point I’d originally intended this post to make: here as you see, I’m wearing the St Catherines cardigan in a larger size (the second) with 8 inches of ease at the bust.
With more ease, the garment becomes more of a comfortable jacket than a shrug, and I love wearing it with the fronts open.
Mel knit this sample, and we thought it would be interesting to work the garter stitch in stripes, not least because the shift in shade shows off the shaping. Mel chose Milarrochy Tweed shades Birkin and Bruce (which are very Mel-like neutrals), but I’m afraid I have temporarily requisitioned her sample. I’m enjoying wearing this St Catherines too much to give it back at the moment – (apologies, Mel).
So here I am, happy with my new hair and my new St Catherines cardigan. 45, grey, and definitely not pregnant.
Congratulations on ditching the hair dye, your grey locks are stunning.
My hairdresser keeps telling me, “No matter what people could pay, no hairdresser will ever be able to replicate
a head of disappearing colour.”
Celebrate, the grey, it costs nothing, can’t be bought, is unique to just you and me, oh how the lovelies would love to be this uuunique.
By the way the cardi is pretty awesome too.
Back to wrangling 425 stitches in my first colour work sweater in your yarn, it softens as you knit, love it.
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Smiled and chuckled thru this whole post! Love your honest sense of humor!!
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Just caught up on lots of old posts. Hell woman, you look awesome.
I’m also really looking forward to getting myself a copy of Handywoman because as someone with a lifelong disability I can empathise. People assume because I’ve looked for want of a better word ‘buckled’ all my life I’ve always had limitations. The limitations have only begun over the last few years and I’m finding it hard to deal with..frustrated, sad, angry, lost, insignificant,worthless….but also DETERMINED!
In low moments something like a short DM on Ravelry where someone tells me ‘I’m inspirational’ makes me feel proud and worthy.
If I can inspire 1 person at a low ebb, it spurs me on.
Kate, you inspire me…so thank you.
Onwards…Love Lou x
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Hi Kate,
I discovered your blog and work today, just by chance, as I am looking for inspiration from Scotland to start knitting…
Beside your work as an artist, I love your words here (and your hair), and understand the meaning of your path :)
This is great! Thank you, I am inspired!
Helene
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Love your beautiful hair ! You are a beautiful ,confident and creative woman . I love reading your posts ! :) x
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I’m almost 42yo, my dark blonde hair is quietly going silver, and I’m also disabled and childless by choice. Congrats on embracing the life you have and being true to yourself!
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Iñoz baino politago zaude!
Biba zu!
And your cardigan knitted by Mel is ❤️
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You are so beautiful and I applaud loudly and enthusiastically your decision to go natural. I also love love love your sense of style, combing both classic and the unexpected so effortlessly. You go girl!
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I prefer the previous dark color of your hair. It lent a dramatic flair that enhanced the fairness of your skin color.
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thanks for your honesty – but I’ve made the decision to stop dyeing it and there’s no going back now!
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You look AMAZING! I stopped dying my hair when I hit 40. I’m now 47 and have Silver envy, lol! Mine is currently peppery but happily getting more silver. You’ve made me think about going a bit more punky with my look. Super post x x x
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I love your hair! You look even more beautiful, if that’s possible. You really look like you enjoy your life!
I’ve been waiting my hair colour to turn grey for many years. Well, actually I stopped dyeing my hair over six years ago. I have always adored grey haired women. I turned 40 few weeks ago and do I see even a hint of grey? No! Disappointing. Only two grey coloured mustache hairs. Ugh.
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Gorgeous haircut: and beautiful cardigan.
I have made the same choice after chemo.
Maybe I made your St Catherine sweater too!
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I’m half way through your book – I find it to be a moving and well written (understatement) chronicle of the hardship of your stroke and the joy of just how clever the brain and body are and how well they work, when directed, to heal. And I thought of your hair and braids while reading, and how much you would suit the short hair you now have. I too felt known and defined by my mane of hair, silvering, which I chopped off a few years ago and felt liberated by the freedom it afforded me. It gets shorter every cut. You look even more beautiful ( and decidedly more cheeky ) with your new cut. All power to you Kate.
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Your hair looks fantastic and your face shape really suits the short gamine pixie style :)
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You’re beautiful! I would love as long as your models are translated into French….
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Kate, you look absolutely fabulous!
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WOW Kate your new look is outstanding, just absolutely gorgeous
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Kate, your hair is ADORABLE, cut and color both. You look fabulous.
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Kate the hair is brilliant. I lost my hair to chemotherapy and it’s growing back; grey, thick and curly. Originally just grateful to have hair, I’ve decided to keep it super short. I’ve ditched the middle aged grey bob, hair dryers and hair straighteners. It’s liberating and I like my new edgy look!
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The grey looks smashing, especially with your eyes! And though I ended up having 2 children who have made me very happy (after a very ambivalent adulthood regarding kids), I think that people should do whatever they think is best. And I am glad that modern technology has made choice in that matter possible.
On other fronts, I’m thinking I should get a necklace like yours.
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Side note: I’m working on your puffin sweater right now, and you are my favorite designer!
I am 47, and I’m letting my grey show as well–I have shaved the sides, and have a bit of a mohawk going. I think you look fabulous!!
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Hi Kate,
You are gorgeous with your grey hair which enhances your twinkling blue eyes so stunningly! I am pepper grey grey, childless by choice (love much more caring for many, many children and their mums as a pediatrician working in humanitarian aid for the last 30 years) and yes, I have been living with a quirky limp and sometimes crouches when it gets too bad, after a motorcycle accident 26 years ago. It never impeded or hampered me to get and go anywhere, it just sometimes takes longer ;-)))! Go Kate! You are such an inspiration :-))))!
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After having had five children I totally get why people choose not to have them! My hairdresser talked me out of letting my natural ‘colour’ come through, I but am totally going to let it happen, aside from my pink highlights, keeping those!
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Your hair looks beautiful, you look beautifu as well as the new sweater/shrug. Most importantly, you look so happy! (:
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Great hair – love your new look!! Enjoy the freedom that comes with not colouring your hair :) Also, I am still amazed at how often people think that if a woman does not have children it is because she just could not get or stay pregnant. Or adopt.
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Hi Kate…..I respect you for your honesty…I respect you for your designs..I respect your willingness to share..I always look forward to your posts…always here pat j
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I think you look fantastic, but what matters is that you find yourself fantastic. I also think you are lucky to have a pretty silver color. Im 55, with dark and grey stripes, and I find it horrible lol. As for children … I believe life is first about finding who we are as individuals, feeling free and accepting and cultivating ourselves, and from there on adding the people or things we choose, or accepting those that choose us.
As to St. Catherines, I purchased a kit from your shop. Are there specific instructions for the oversized version or does one simply pick several sizes larger?
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That’s a pretty funny mistakes! Hopefully you are taking it well!
I like the “new appearance” but what shock me the most is the disappearance of the big hair bun! If i were to draw you i would have probably doing it with the large hair bun, a headband, and a large skirt or trouser and adding color would be a shade of blue, white and red! Now in parallel with your article “a question of proportions”, we can see clearly your shift in personal shape and style, i love that! Change is a good creative thing! It’s refreshing! And your grey hair are wonderful! It make your blue eyes pop even more!
I modestly start to have a small collection of grey hair, and if at first i panicked “ho no i’m entering in the “old box” now!” right after i just realise how hard it was for me to grow up and live.
I really struggled to live, i was very suicidal for almost 2 decades and now that i’m 31, i love ageing, because to me it means more “blooming” than “getting old” because, before i wasn’t experiencing what life was offering me, i was rejecting it, and now i learn to embrace life and myself as i look in the mirror and see changes, living things, i learn that nothing last, like pain it fade away or it change into something else. And that is a really beautiful process!
So obviously, in the last 4 years i changed how i dressed, i became more confident, and i love my few grey hair because they mean i survived, and i had the chance to be alive and to be happy… So enjoy your lovely grey hair! ;)
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Hair looks great! It really suits you!
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I think you suit your natural colour. As a professional hairdresser I do get where your coming from with taking this decision and the fact is your body and skin change, so remaining dark haired while all else changes isn’t perfect either.
As for children, I do not understand why society and obsessed with the idea that woman should have children and that somehow these ‘children’ represent a perfect world. In reality this is far from the truth. I will share this with you I have two grown up children who I never see (well not for years) and if I do see or hear from them, its causes me grief. So best to live your life, and don’t worry what other people think Kate.
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I think you suit your natural colour. As a professional hairdresser I do get where your coming from with taking this decision and the fact is your body and skin change, so remaining dark haired while all else changes isn’t perfect either.
As for children, I do not understand why society is obsessed with the idea that woman should have children and that somehow these ‘children’ represent a perfect world. In reality this is far from the truth. So best to live your life, and don’t worry what other people think Kate.
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Hi Kate
I have never responded before but have been reading you blog for some time now.
I have to say I love your new hair and if mind looked like yours I would not be visiting the hair salon every six weeks and I am 64 years, vanity is a terrible thing.
I live in a little country town in New South Wales Australia and love reading about your beautiful part of the world.
Look forward to reading your next blog
Kind regards
Deborah Smith
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I hope there is no bad reason you took your post on vulnerability down. I was going to share it with my ex who had a bad stroke (opposite side affected, similar damage) last December, but no matter. Your book will be shared in its place.
I thought your post was brave and true and honest to the bone. I salute you, Kate. I hope you are ok with whatever your reasons are.
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You are beautiful. I am 44 and still have my red hair. :) But you look fab.
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Late to the party, but I had to chime in to say how much I love the new do! As a similarly-aged, and VERY short-haired woman, I can attest to how lovely it is to just get up and go in the morning – I haven’t used a brush in years. I first cut it off when I was swimming regularly (you are going to love the ease of getting out of the water and going), and now appreciate it under a riding helmet. One thing, though: I have long envied your headwraps and wished I could wear them, too. So I’m very interested to see how you wear them with much shorter hair, and what you think of it.
(PS Also love St Catherines – may have found my next project!)
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So, there! LOL. Love the post and your new do!
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Love this post! You look wonderful! I’ve been battling with my inevitable grey head for the last couple years. I’m going on 27 and have been noticing grays approaching quickly, with no forgiveness. I battle with the thought of letting it go and embracing my appearance, or dying it and keeping it hidden. I’m so glad you embraced it. I love the cut and color! Just perfect!
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Grey or silver hair is only natural and i feel as if some people forget that.. just think, animal’s have grey hair’s, human’s have grey hair’s, we all will have grey hair! Dying it or leaving it grey is just an option. In fact i find it nice to see men and women alike with grey hair, I’ve seen many people who really suit it and one day i hope i can suit it myself.
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Beutiful!
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You’ve a vibrant face with prominent eyes, gorgeous eyes & eyebrows at that- perfect nose, nicely shaped mouth, you want to go red or auburn with curls. Yes! Perfect on you.
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Never!
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Great look, great hair, great cardigan, great post.
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Love your hair cut and the natural color. You look beautiful.
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Bellissima !!!
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If one were to say that I channeled an Annie Lennox vibe, I would consider it a high compliment. Well, I am throwing that compliment your way. Well done!!
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I have felt really bad since I wrongly assumed that you were giving us a clue that you were pregnant. I’m relieved that you were not upset by this as I know nothing really of your personal circumstances and knew nothing of your thoughts / wishes to become a parent or not, as is the case.
I chose years ago not to become a parent. Happily I married someone who didn’t want to be a parent either so neither of us has to make what could have been a difficult choice.
I have a very low maintenance relationship with my hair. I cut 3 or 4 times a year and have never coloured it. My hair has stayed stubbornly mid brown even though I’m almost 60 and want to turn grey not least because it is such a versatile and flattering hair colour (IMHO).
The reason that I thought you may have been hinting about pregnancy was because of an earlier post when you had said you had felt below par and because the photo above the radical change in your appearance was sideways on. I put 2 and 2 together and made it add up to alot more than 4.
At the moment it seems that everywhere I turn pregnancies and new babies are being celebrated, as colleagues become parents to be and friends become grandparents. I’m genuinely delighted for them as they all seem to be planned and happy events. In my job pregnancy / new baby is not always such a happy event.
To ensure I don’t make such a mistake in future I’m going back to simply enjoying reading your posts and moving on. The comments are for you.
Congratulations on your “new” hair. It really suits you.
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please don’t feel bad. I was honestly just confused by the whole thing . . .
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You are beautiful just the way you Are! Don’t let anyone or their opinions change that.
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I love your hair!
and I too am usually amused about the assumption many females have that my choice of refraining from procreation was somehow a result of “tragedy”, and I would have to explain that I just knew how to use birth control…
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Ah, your silver has come in beautifully!! I am so envious. I grew out my dark, dark brown dye about 5 years ago and damn if I didn’t bear more than a passing resemblance to a badger. Dark pepper brown on top, temple streaks of snowy whiteness, just NOT COOL.
So I have opted for a bleached to white white instead. The upkeep is still there but I feel more comfortable with the dark roots that the startling white ones.
The jacket is excellent (and the necklace) I thing Mel needs to move on without it. :)
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I liked your blog and the way you came to terms with your middle age. A woman is already complete and whole, she doesn’t need kids to make her perfect. Some women do not understand this and bear kids(even if they do not want to) in order to get approval by the society. It’s not for the society to decide whether a woman should have kids or not. It’s solely the choice of the lady and she doesn’t owe anyone an explanation. Liked your new look as well. It’s really suiting on you.
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So great! You look amazing! I only just cut my hair that short few days ago for the same reason! Feels so much more me and I really do not care if others find I’m too young for gray hair (44 turning 45). I do have a child (1 daughter) and STILL get questions like why did I not have more… Is it due to my depression?… Almost as if you failed if you do not fit the “standard picture”… Congratulations on being you!
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Love the hair (and the cardi!). Silver hair FTW!
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I think you look great. I also like the cardigan and will have to make.
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Absolutely Fabulous!! X
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If someone told me that I was channeling an Annie Lennox vibe- I would take it as a high compliment. Well Kate, I am throwing out that high compliment your way. Just amazing. Well done!!
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Congrats, Kate. Love the hair (welcome to the club), the dialogue about your post, and the wonderful St. Catherine pattern. Especially the stripes. Just started one in Hirst and Hare.
Love it!
Adela
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Writing as another mid-40’s silver haired beauty – it’s good, isn’t it? Enjoy!!!!
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Beautiful gray! It’s a bit of a change, but stunning! I’ve been going gray for some years now, and ultimately hope to have my mother’s beautiful white hair. I live in a place where women are afraid to go gray, and always feel a ‘blip’ of happiness on seeing other gray-headed folk.
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You look amazing! :)
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Bravo Kate! Earlier this year you posted some photos with your mum and sister, both grey haired, both looking great! At 42 I’ve never dyed my hair and regularly get the question wether I’ll do something about it. The answer is no. Too much fuss, too much chemical and … I like it that way. As for the question of children, for thousands years woomanhood has been defined by the ability to bear children. We might need another few decades to fully accept that a women’s life can be something else than having children. Just like grey hair, acceptance of free choices is key. Thanks for being such an inspiration, can’t wait to receive my “Handywoman” copy!
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Woah! When I saw the tiny picture on Instagram yesterday I wasn’t sure at first, but now with those close-up shots… woah. You look so happy and full of energy and very much yourself, I can’t help but stare at those portraits. Love the slightly ruffled cut, I bet it’ so much faster in the morning… even though I loved your braids a lot, too. And nobody wears the headwraps quite like you :)
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Wow! A lot of women would pay a fortune for that silvery grey colour. It looks lovely on you!
At 55 I also recently decided to embrace the grey and chose to have my hair cropped instead of growing out the dye. I discovered I don’t have quite as much grey as I expected: it’s silver around the temples and sides while the rest is salt and pepper. I love the short cut and am amazed at how many compliments I have received from friends and acquaintances. I have decided to keep my hair short, but the only problem is I will now have to cut it much more frequently, instead of letting it go for months at a time. (Oh well. I never paid for a dye job – always diy with semi-permanent – so I guess I can justify pampering myself with more frequent haircuts now)
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Grand, indeed! You look fabulous!
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I love your hair.
Women who define themselves by having children worry me.
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Sadly this comment is as insensitive and shallow as assuming something is wrong with a woman who chooses not to have children.
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I agree completely.
– a different Olivia
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Wholeheartedly agree!
Here we are in the 21stC and having children still seems to be The One Thing some women define themselves. Sadly I do not find that always comes associated with raising them to be critical thinking and kind human beings…
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Bravo! I was going grey early, in my twenties, and just never felt compelled to deal with all that fuss. Young women are now paying big bucks for my platinum look!! And this oversize version of the shrug may convert me, too.
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I don’t see a problem with throwing your whole heart and soul into one thing for a season or two. There was a phase in my life when that passion was being a student. Then it was being a lawyer. Now it is being a mother. Life isn’t static, and we are all free to define ourselves as we please. One benefit of feminism is having the choice (theoretically).
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You look fabulous Kate! I am in my early 60’s and just started my transition to grey four months ago, I had black hair when was young and started colouring it in my 30’s. It wasn’t to try to look young but simply that I always loved having dark hair. It appears that my natural colour now is like yours as my hairdresser says you’re gonna have amazing silver hair. I just wish it would grow faster as I have long hair.
Thanks for always being such an inspiration!
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I love the new look and you wear it very well indeed! Also really like the cardigan. Congrats on new look. White hair, childless and very happy!
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Kate – I want to be you when I grow up! Thanks for being such a great example. :) 37, single, childfree, with a grey streak reporting in here.
Love the larger striped version of the cardigan as well! Maybe I’ll have to do a version like that – it would match my hair! ;)
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AAAAHHHHH NEW HAIRS I love it. I’m going grey far too slowly for my liking. When I hit 40 last year I entirely ran out of fucks to give about anything much to do with appearance (and a lot of other stuff too!) and I now buzz my hair with clippers. Grade 6 back and sides, 8ish on top. Wash and go.
What I really want to know is where you got that SKIRT because I have a mighty need.
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A slightly punk vibe in these pix with the new crop & the statement necklace. I love the new shrug/cardie, can’t quite decide which size I’m most taken with. I do fancy the stripes tho. I wonder if it might be a bit complicated for me as I’m quite a lazy knitter for all I’m perfectly capable.
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Your face just comes alive! You are so pretty and fine featured, beautiful eyes! And I love the striped cardigan!
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Gorgeous! I’m waiting for my hair to have more grey before I stop coloring it, but I am getting a little sick of the extra expense. Enjoy the new short style as well!
Plus, as an aside, I love your blog and your work in general. I don’t comment much, but I always read it and am always inspired. Keep on keepin’ on!
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You look beautiful and strong of mind and of body! Keep on rockin,! I love reading your blog and looking at your fabulous photos. Thank you for sharing with us.
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Oh, the pregnancy question! I had it come to me in all shapes … From „You have a little belly there, are you pregnant?“ („No, just fat“) to plain old „Why don´t you have children?“ To which my standard answer is a variation of „It just never happened“ which is not much of an answer at all, but still more than the question usually deserves. And how long would a real answer take? It is, after all, not one single decision, but almost four decades – from menarche to menopause – of choices and deliberations.
The most recent instance was with a group of Afghani women (I teach German as a volunteer). We were taking turns asking each other questions, and one student thought she was taking the easy route asking me how many children I had. My answer „I do not have children“ intrigued her enough to ask „Why don´t you have children?“, even though she had to struggle to put the words together. In this context, I did not resent the question at all, though it is obviously not any easier to find an answer if you are limited to simple words and basic syntax. There is, however, a gesture and a facial expression for „It´s complicated/it´s a long story“ that seems to be universal. Early in 2016, when I first started the class and participants were a mixed group of recent arrivals, a similar question came up during introduction, and when I told them „49, not married, no kids“ most faces just went blank. Too alien. More than two years later, I saw questions, but also interest in those womens´ faces. One even gave me a thumbs up and a big smile.
So now I feel well prepared for the next time The Question comes up: I do not have children because I was fortunate enough to be born in a time and place where I was free to make my own choices, to an unprecedented degree, and all those choices led me to being 51, single, childless, short haired, and happy with it.
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“I do not have children because I was fortunate enough to be born in a time and place where I was free to make my own choices, to an unprecedented degree, and all those choices led me to being 51, single, childless, short haired, and happy with it.”
*Applauds*
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Word!
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“Double applauds”
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Good hair, Kate.
Always a choice with strong outcomes, hair.
How it makes you look and feel. But also how OTHERS view you when you make such a visible change. One that goes against “feminine” norms.
A colleague heard, “Who’s the new boy?” whispered behind her back when she went shaved-short. Perhaps intended as a joke. Luckily her confidence in her fabulous new look didn’t take a knock. I find that short hair is more of a challenge for most women than grey/not grey, but then I’ve been greying for years and LOVE it.
Enjoy your choice (you will – that’s your personality I’m pretty sure, and you wouldn’t do anything you didn’t know to be right for you!)
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White or grey hair is a beautiful colour, It looks fabulous with your eyes. And isn’t it wonderfully liberating to free yourself from an entire industry like that.
I and stopped getting my hair cut years and years ago, think it looks great as three feet of thick chestnut with an ever-expanding white streak, enjoy the silky luxuriance, and love my total independence from the entire hairdressing industry. I’m 46 and wish it would go properly all-silver faster.
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Love your new appearance! It really suits you :-)
I was amazed to read that some people thought you were to be pregnant when you mentioned the changes in your appearance, I think that says a whole lot about those persons and what things they think are important. I would never ever asume someone is pregnant with a remark like yours. More likely I would think about new glasses or hairdo or so.. :D
I just can’t understand why someone would go there, when it’s such a personal thing to ask/say. I would never ever say that to someone, it’s something so personal.
We don’t have children, I used to think maybe I liked them one day (when I was in my twenties I just thought it was suppose to be something I wanted) but the older I got, the less I wanted to have them myself. Luckily my husband has the same feelings. We love children, we love our nephews and neices but to have one (or more) of our own? Nope! It’s just not us.
Then I got my kidney disease when I was just over 30 and that was that; it was out of the question. For me, because I don’t want to give a child a mother that’s not fit and maybe even dies when the child is young, for my husband it was now a definite no because I needed to stop with my medication if I wanted to get pregnant with the risk of being able to bring a child in this world and get very sick myself or even die from it. He just never understood why he would take the risk of losing me for a child we don’t even know….. Those realisations, plus the fact we don’t have an urge to have children, has made it so clear to us we did the right thing by not having them.
Glad I am getting older though, it’s just clear for everybody that we don’t have them nor will we get them now. I was asked a lot about it (which I find very impertinent) and a lot of times you just saw a glimps of “ahh, maybe she can’t have them, poor soul” over someones face when I said that we don’t have (or want) any children. Now I am 41 and the questions stopped, glad they did. I don’t mind being childless, so don’t make me feel like I should mind by the questions and the sympathetic faces …
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sorry for the long post, lol.
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applauding you, Aranka
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you look lovely
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You have made an honest woman of yourself!
Congratulations!
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I love your hair, and I love this version of the shrug!
And BRAVA for cutting it short to go gray – I am just past spending over a year growing mine out — and am loving having healthy natural hair after so many years of coloring it. Older than you – at 57 – on a recent trip to Italy, my husband and I were pulled out of the general line through customs to join the shorter queue to see the agents who’d finished whooshing the EU folks through (we’re from the US). At first I worried we were in for trouble, till I noticed everyone else in the line either had small children, or gray hair. I laughed then and enjoyed the undeserved privilege of being elderly ;-)
Having lost my hair once to cancer treatments, I wasn’t willing to shave it to cut the growing out process short, but DO wish I’d taken the opportunity back then to give up the bottle!
You look lovely!
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I loved this article. I quit colouring my hair a couple of years ago and love my grey hair now. On the subject of being childless, in my 20s I could not understand how a woman could make that choice. I think it was due in part to youthful arrogance and in part due to social norms. The book “Nobody’s Mother: Life Without Kids” provided me with a great deal of perspective on other life choices. It’s a great collection of essays from several women who are childless for a variety of reasons – some made a conscious decision, some were unable to have children and for others the circumstances weren’t right. As my own children reached childbearing years, I could understand that perhaps not all of them would choose to be parents. I do find it humourous that a comment on a change in appearance led many to jump to “Kate’s pregnant”. I enjoy your writing and designs.
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You’ve identified something interesting- the subtlety of experience of childless women. It isn’t just a ‘love kids but can’t have them’/’not interested’ duality. I’m in the ‘wasn’t that bothered either way, and just didn’t happen/ the right circumstances never came along’, but I find it frustrating that at nearly 50, I’m still asked if I have kids, if not why not, or even (hah!) that I need to get a move on, as I’m no spring chicken. I like kids, especially teenagers. I find them challenging and entertaining. So I’m also not in the ‘I don’t like kids’ camp. I want all kids born to have a loving home. To not be something that people have just because it’s just part of the social norm. I get really upset if I see/hear about kids being neglected in any way. And, if I’m honest, I also do feel strongly that we have to do something about population growth, including in my own ‘Western World’ context (just lob that one in and run away!). So yeah: huge set of discussions, and one thing I know from experience is that I’d NEVER ask someone if they were pregnant/thinking of getting pregnant.
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This discussion is actually so helpful for all of us to appreciate and understand one another. I have raised 4 daughters and they are all beautiful, healthy and loving adults. Some have chosen to have children but all of them have families.
I myself love all the new color choices I can wear and the extra money for patterns and yarn now that I am free to be me.
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I tried going all grey but I looked so bad . I had black streaks and salt and pepper so I dyed my hair again, wish mine had been like yours and I might have put the dye bottle away. As to being pregnant, to each his own.
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Kate, thank you for such a generous and understanding response to the ‘pregnancy’ comments. As another “childless by choice” woman (38, if that’s relevant!), I have had this discussion so many times with both family, friends – and, most frustratingly – brand new acquaintances who on finding out that I am in a long term relationship, seem to think it is a natural question to ask.
I’d just also like to add, that whether or not it was an ‘obvious conclusion’, or a natural assumption – commenting on possible pregnancies before announcements can be really hurtful.
I am lucky. I had a choice. Being asked if I am pregnant will at most cause an eye roll these days. BUT, I have so very many friends who desperately want(ed) children, and struggled with fertility and/or miscarriages. I understand that people only comment because they see pregnancy as a blessing, it comes from a place of generosity and love – but please please consider waiting until you are sure before sharing your joy. If and when pregnancy is announced – go nuts with the congratulations for sure!
On a lighter note. I cut my hair short this week – humidity inspired more than anything. You may have inspired me to go even shorter!
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I was expecting short, but hadn’t imagined grey. You are beautiful. bx
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I really love both: the short cut and your beautiful natural colored hair! I appreciate that you encourage others to have the courage to be as you are – and that this looks great! Thanks for that!
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I shaved my head in college. No more liberating feeling, really. I absolutely love your new do. It’s gorgeous and really brings out your eyes.
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Love the cardigan and the hair. You look great. I think that natural grey is such a gorgeous colour and am so glad that we are beginning to celebrate it. The cardigan has gone on my to do list as it looks like a very useful addition to one’s wardrobe. Short hair is so much easier when you wear a swimming cap too; I spent years cramming masses & masses of curly red hair into a a swim cap every morning for it to either escape or rip the cap in half. How liberating not to have to worry about having to stop and sort it out mid swim. Washing it is easy and no faffing with drying or products, it’s good to go with a towel rub and a flick in place – what is not to like !!
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Thanks for this post Kate – you look amazing (hair, cardi and all) but I especially liked your response to yesterday’s absolutely bizarre comments on pregnancy. I was flabbergasted that anyone should make this assumption but to treat it as confirmed fact was truly astonishing. You handled it with aplomb. I’m now going to watch your hair’s journey with interest as I have hair of similar curl.
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Kate, you have such a talent for styling. The colors, your outfits, the surroundings. You always present your designs to their best advantage. This post is amazing — the pink “Knitter” necklace! The dots on the shirt to play off of the stripes of the sweater! And the striped St Catherines really shows off your interesting design — I love the architectural quality that it gives the sweater.
Something about the way the light hits your new short gray hair makes you glow. (I went short, short a year ago and I love that I can now feel my scalp — what a glorious feeling!)
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I chuckle with you at giving up and just being grey. Its where we are in life and since we are still on this side of the dirt, we still have life. I like you cut, wore one similar for many years but I have done the opposite, I have let mine grow. I call it my form of rebellion in refusing to conform to old ladies hair do as I am much older than you. They keep asking me when I am going to cut it and I politely tell them I wear my hair for me and not for the norm – its staying long. Best of health for you.
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Love the garter stripes on the cardigan. SO so cute. I am a total sucker for steps and garter stitch. Also… love the new hair, both the cut and color. It’s kinda punk and totally suits you. I’ve been thinking of buzzing mine as well, but haven’t worked up the courage.
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I love the grey! I am in my mid forties and going grey too. I wish more women would so that aging would be the norm and not something to be fought tooth and nail. Youth was fun, but hell so is my midlife! Maybe even more so. Cheers!
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Love the hair! Both the color and the cut! I’m always envious of people who go gray early. In my opinion, it makes one look younger. You’re so lucky that you look wonderful with such a short cut, something between punk and pixie. Brava! Now I have to scroll back up and inspect the knitting content of this post. I was so taken by the hair, I completely failed to notice the cardi!
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I love the look. I love the haircut. I love the grey. And, I love the sweater. But what I love most of all is that you had the courage to cut off all your hair, yourself, with Tom’s razor. Way to go!
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You look gorgeous and natural. The photographs and your new cardi/shrug design enhance it all.
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Love the new hair. I stopped colouring mine two years ago – what a relief that was to be always messing about with smelly chemicals. If my mum’s hair is anything to go by, it’ll be streaky until I’m in my 70s, rather than the striking grey all over, but I’m fine with it. My hair feels so much more natural now and now that the dye has all grown out, it’s all my natural colour which I love.
I am so looking forward to seeing how this new look impacts on your design aesthetic – starting with Mel’s sample. It’s not a colour combo that we’ve seen you wearing a lot of, but it looks super with the new hair.
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I love your hair, Maylin
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I also find this heartily amusing, largely because I’m 46, thought I was menopausal, and turned out to be 19 weeks pregnant. Life is funny, and you look amazing. I love your new hair and your outlook. Also, that sweater. Fab.
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well, can I say – CONGRATULATIONS!
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Kate, you are a beautiful woman!
(Alex, 41, childless and happy with that)
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Love the hair, love the sweater, love the comments.
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Kate you look amazing because you are amazing, I am also a 45 year old woman who has taken to having my hair clippered off but I still have enough muddy brown to demand that what hair is left on my head is bleached to oblivion! the cardigan/shrug is totally gorgeous!
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I think your hair looks fabulous this short. It suits your features. And I am so envious, Kate! I am 67 years old, and my hair continues to be a muddy brown. I often wish for just this shade of hair. I predict you won’t grow it long again after you get used to this short cut. It is very freeing. You’ll have to knit some more hats for the winter!
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Love the hair and love the new pattern. I keep telling myself I’m not going to buy any more patterns but as a lover of your patterns and a Katherine I feel this one’s a must AND it does look quite a perfect garment for a fellow menopausal woman too.
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Despite my discomfort commenting publicly on anyone’s appearance, here I go. Love the hair cut and color. The latter reminds me of Anne Kreamer’s book Going Grey (http://www.annekreamer.com/going-gray/). But what I really want to focus on are your head wraps. Living in Maine means that I am always looking for aesthetically pleasing solutions for keeping my head warm–October through April. Your head wraps are lovely. What might you tell me about them? Most importantly, thank you for your beautiful creations, Tom’s compelling images, and the ability to tell your story with an open heart.
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I stopped dying my hair mid-thirties (though that was for fun, rather than to hide grey hairs). I’ve had silver streaks (or ‘tinsel’ as my OH calls them) since I was 12, and they’re very obvious, as I’m very dark. I’m going grey slowly, in streaks and stripes, and have no issues with it, at nearly 50. In fact, I dress in colours to accentuate those streaks and stripes. I secretly cheer on those who are further along the journey, whatever their age, and are rocking it, not because I have any judgement on those who chose to dye their hair to hide grey (hey, do whatever makes you happy with yourself), but because each woman who chooses not to seems to me to redress the balance of our cultural ageism and sexism (because men are held up as ‘silver foxes’ when they go grey). I’m also lucky because I’ve had older women in my life who have embraced the grey and just look amazing.
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Tinsel! YES – that is the perfect word for it!
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I love your hair, you look beautiful.
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You are so beautiful !
I never wanted to color my hair coming grey because my mother always made it, and now she’s 80 with auburn color.
Welcome to short grey hair world of freedom !
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You look fabulous! And I love the use of two colors in this cardigan – really sets off your design choices.
Regarding change, I instantly thought it was your hair because I remembered you writing in your blog about asking Tom to braid your hair, post stroke and still in hospital, – that it was important to your identity. And since the way you do your hair rarely changes (although I did notice you wearing it in a bun in the last year or so), it was a no brainer.
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How much I understand you !!!
I did it too, some months ago ! ^^
Perhaps shorter, if I dare say it. ;-) My husband tried with his own hair clipper and a 18 mm comb.
Very happy with my new grey head. What a pleasure to feel so free !
Thank you for all you do. I follow you for a very long time. It’s a great pleasure to read you, admire and knit your creations.
Sorry for my poor english…
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I love your haircut. It looks great :-)
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The colour & style suits you so well. I did the deed in stages – I had long hair to my waist and it was taking 2 bottles to cover the grey, so at 26 I told the hairdresser to cut it short. I’ve never seen that look on a hairdresser’s face before or since! Then at 30 I grew it out so I had an inch of roots and cut all the colour out. I’m 70 now and can vouch for the fact that your colouring changes to suit your natural hair colour so it always looks right. My daughter said she could always see me in the audience because my hair sparkles!
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I love your new hair. It suits you so well. I can’t explain why, but perhaps because it softens your look. You really look beautiful.
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New haircut looks fabulous! Enjoy. I had to reread the previous post to see why anyone might think you were pregnant. Ha ha, talk about jumping to conclusions.
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You look really beautiful.
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I absolutely love your new look – the grey hair and pixie cut looks fabulous on you! (and both versions of the St Catherine’s are also fab, btw).
I’ll be 50 next year, my hair has not seen any dye since student days. My first white (not grey, not silver, white) hairs came in 10 years ago, and they just grow in number. My hair length has gone from pixie cut to over shoulder length to a bob a few times. Every time I started to tie my hair up, I thought it was time to cut if off. Now I’m at the stage of tying-hair-up again, and I’ve decided that maybe growing it long enough for a proper bun might be a nice change ;-)
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I am 57 and have noticed that my skin tone has faded and softened along with my hair. Letting my hair go grey has allowed skin and hair to sit well together. There are plenty of other ways to look young apart from the dye bottle! Such as being joyful, lighthearted and enthusiastic about life – all much more powerful than increasingly unrealistic hair colour.
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You look fabulous. It really suits you. To be honest, it never occurred to me that you would be pregnant and that was the change of appearance !! I’m not sure how some people even got to that. You know what they say about assume.
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Beautiful hair on a beautiful woman- what’s not to love. I work with a group of people who are mostly older than me (I’m 55) and am always entertained when I catch myself wondering why their hair is still not grey- it’s the bottle silly! I’ve never regretted growing grey and am only sorry that it didn’t happen for me as early as it did for my father. His was snowy white by my age. Loved the cardigan and the way the stripes bring forward the construction. I’m loving all your new patterns, the only problem is just when I’ve decided to knit one, another appears and I’m paralysed by indecision.
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Some people do go grey very slowly, some quickly. My MIL has very few grey hairs in her mid-70s, and she genuinely doesn’t dye it. Her son is the same, at nearly 50, the only grey showing is his ‘badger stripes’ in his beard.
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I guess I’m going to end up in the same camp as your MIL. I’ll be 65 this year and have never coloured my hair. I have only a few strands of grey so far and am really interested to see just how old I get before I go grey. My hair was auburn leaning towards red and is now faded to a brown with auburn highlights. My grandmother was a copper penny red and had no grey when she died at 62 years old. I’m in the camp of why dye my hair when my face certainly is telling people that I am not in my forties any more. I may have done it if I had indeed gone grey in my 40’s but then maybe not. Dye isn’t a healthy addition to our already toxic environment.
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I know several women who are fabulously grey (including my mother, who has very similar hair to your new style) and it’s always made me feel a bit eager to go grey myself. And then a few months ago I found my first few grey hairs, and my enthusiasm wavered… but I’m determined to embrace it, and it’s always wonderful to see others who are ahead of me in this journey: so far my greys are only noticeable to me but hopefully one day I’ll look as silvery as you and my other grey role models.
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I was one of the people who (quietly) wondered if you might be pregnant, and it wasn’t just because you said you were going to post photos with a changed appearance, but also that you were going to be modelling a larger size cardigan/shrug! It was a very obvious possibility.
Anyway congratulations on your beautiful silver grey hair,and if the menopause is treating you kindly, then congratulations on that too. Can’t wait until all that messy restrictive monthly stuff stops, myself.
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You look fabulous! I love the short silver do; it suits you. I was surprised by the assumption of pregnancy with your last post, also. I think it was the “ahem” in your sentence that lead some down the path they took to impending motherhood for you. Thanks for the reveal, and for your marvelous example of living life to the fullest regardless of our circumstances.
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I shaved my head in college, and it was awesome (talk about low maintenance, eh?). In the 20 years since then, I’ve had everything from from a super-short pixie cut to a 6-inch pony tail. I just like a change every now and then. I’m always amused at…
1. How differently strangers react/interact to/with me based on on what my hair happens to look like. I tend toward androgyny (no makeup, boyish figure and clothing choices), so the hair really makes a difference. I’d be interested to hear about your own experiences.
2. How people who actually know me (i.e friends, family) react to my hair — particularly the reaction of other women, which, in my experience, is more extreme than mens’ reactions. As if cutting one’s hair was somehow… I dunno…positivley shocking (!). Hey, Mom, calm down, hair grows back, you know?
Anyway… the new hairdo is fabulous. I think you look great.
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You look wonderful. I did the same with my hair at age 40 and it was liberating indeed!
p.s. the knitted shrug/jacket rocks!
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Love the striped cardigan version with positive ease in navy/white!
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Hello …yay for you and yay for your new hair…my gosh you do look different ..the short cut sure shows off your big lovely eyes…good for you girl, finding yourself by finding your hair style I would say..very beautiful…..I decided to let my hair grow in natural after dying for a while…I don’t look good in short, but you sure do..my hair is wild and curly, so there it sits , or sticks out, or stands up, and it’s me..your hair does make a statement about who you are..I think for me natural is freedom!!……you have so many messages, so many people who admire you and your talent..good for you…..hugs and wishes…pat j
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You look great with short silvery hair. Not everyone can pull of either, let alone both! :)
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I think your natural tresses are gorgeous! Being silver myself, I can say welcome ! Grey is GREAT!
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You look beautiful!
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I have to admit that the first thought that crossed my mind was “pregnant?” I think it was because my brain was connecting (non-existent) dots with the post a week or so ago about changing body shape.
However, a few seconds later, I realized that pregnancy wouldn’t cause a ‘Drastic’ change in only 2 months.
I love your new look. You are radiant!
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Your new haircut is adorable. It makes you look younger and a bit mischievous. I love it!!! :-)
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You look is beautiful. Love everything hair cut and cardigan. I have the same age with some grey hair and I don’t want to change and I like grey hair I want more ! Carry on and say hi to Bruce, Bobby and Tom of course.
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I agree with everything that has been said, you look amazing. Thanks for naming a sweater after me, and my name sake, St. Catherine.🤣
~Catherine
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Oh, my goodness, so many posts to scroll past to add mine! I LOVE your hair. My firsy thought to the previous post was that you had cut your hair. As an “early 60’s” who has never dyed her hair (very peppered) I love to see your beautiful silver locks. There have been a few times I have thought of heading to a hair dresser for a dye, but it’s been my husband who teold me no, that he never liked the fake look. Congratulations on your beautiful, bouncing grey tresses!
P.S. Also love the looser St. Catherines! Comfy looking.
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I stopped dying my hair a few years ago and have just let it grow. Very liberating! Looks great Kate. The cardi is very lovely and looks so comfy. x
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Hey Kate, your hair looks fabulous. I recently decided to let my hair be and i am intrigued to watch it change. unlike your hair mine has very patchy colour at the back and is 80% grey at the front. My husband thinks the grey is outstanding, my daughter (23) misses the black hair.
I’m so pleased to embrace the changes in my life and feel so blessed to be able to age. I’m also in love with the two coloured look of that St Catherine’s… I had been thinking one “lipstick red” and one “leaf green” maybe a third…? and you are absolutely right, changing it up with different sizes makes for a super versatile wardrobe.
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Love your new ‘do! And I love what it represents — freedom of movement and an affirmation and acknowledgement of your maturity. You wear it well, dear Kate! As a swimmer myself, I find my very short (grey) locks are perfect for swimming.
P.S. And the sweater is divine, too!
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Oh Kate – that look is wonderful – you have the facial features to carry it stunningly. I have to say I found myself wondering whether I’m just turning into an old grump because i thought the pregnancy guessing stepped over a line into the too personal.
Thank you for such a blunt but thoughtful response. Not all of us are lucky enough to be able to travel down our preferred path in life, but a number of us who have faced serious challenges truly feel the joy and blessing of being ourselves, being alive, and having the best quality of life possible. And being able to make our own decisions!!!!
Bravo to all your stated sentiments.
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Is this a record, Kate? So many replies!
I like Georgie’s thought that perhaps you had designed a swimming cover-up! What a great idea! How about a swimming suit?! On page 18 of the August 2018 issue of Outdoor Swimmer magazine there’s a photo of a woman wearing a 1920’s-ish swimsuit her mum-in-law knit for her. It inspired me to go to Ravelry & Etsy to look for patterns. All the patterns out there are vintage. Here is one shop: https://www.etsy.com/listing/230691714/1930s-one-piece-swimsuit-vintage?ref=user_profile
We swimmers need our fabulous Kate to design a vintage suit that fits all sizes & not just 1-2 vintage sizes. I’ll bet these vintage style suits are more comfy than the nylon & polyester suits of today! They probably feel like one is as close to skinny dipping as possible while wearing a suit!
I was a bit mystified by Linda referring to herself as a “traditionally built woman”. I confess to being unable to visualuze her, but it seems as though she may not view you as “traditionally built”. We humans nowadays come in so many shapes and sizes, although I believe that “traditionally”/in the past we were much more numerously on the slim side. We are who we are, & just like skin tone & hair color we are all beautiful examples of humanity. I glory in the diversity of humanity. I am glad that you grasp that too & design patterns in a broad variety of sizes.
Your countenance is quite gleeful in a couple of the photos, especially the 2nd & 10th. You look like you are exuding 10,000 rays of sunlight! Shine on!
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The hair looks fabulous, although I’m sure you didn’t expect THIS level of response lol. Very modern and chic and so flattering. I also really like the bigger St. Catherine – for me that version would be more useful, thanks for modelling both!
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Hair freedom! Your new ‘do is so cute and you have an extra sparkle in your eyes in the photos. The striped version of your new pattern is perfect.
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Love the hair and actually it makes you look younger mine dosent but then im 20 years older oh well i have never dyed mine and it is silver at the front and still brown at the back go figure
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My first thought was a haircut since you’ve been wearing it long for ages but never suspected you’d gone grey! A couple of months ago I did the same & liked it so much I cut it again. It’s about an inch long everywhere & so easy to manage – I think you’ll love it – especially for swimming. Gives us both a reason to knit winter hats!!
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Love the hair! I was actually just telling my Mom she should stop dyeing hers and let it go natural. I will miss your lovely coronet braid though!
I totally get you on the baby thing.. I’m pushing 40, and I have to laugh at most of the comments I get regarding my “childless by choice” state.
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You look Fabulous! Your cut and your natural colour look great!
Love the sweater too!
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Hi, Kate!
I guessed right! Although I included purple and fuchsia, as well as platinum, among the possibilities.
I just turned 50, have had some grey since 17, but am still coloring because I am stuck at 50/50, and it’s not a good look for me. I actually wish I had more grey and could stop coloring. I have tried. Maybe a couple more years.
YOU are STUNNING. I love the new look.
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Beautiful. Love your hair and the cardigan. Short hair suits you.
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Dear Kate, great to see the new you, just a lovely as ever. White runs in my family too. I was very grey by 25, hid it for years and snowy white by 30. Mines short too, it just feels right.
Love both iterations of Catherine, and I’m in a striped phase, so just about to buy this one.
Thanks for sharing your part of the world and your life.
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That’s such a great look!
You look more comfortable, confident and edgy with the grey. In an odd twist there’s a momentary thought that it’s been coloured that way!
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Your new hairstyle lets all your wisdom shine through. Love all of these photos. The cardigan is pretty fab too, but to tell you the truth, your beauty way outshines the cardigan this time. Also, it’s very good to hear another childless-by-choice woman state her position. I never wanted children and my choice has given me so much space to focus on creative work that’s a form of activism. Nice to see this choice articulated in such a public place.
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Once my sister, as a newlywed, patted her tummy and said, “Guess what [my husband] and I have been doing all day?” Stunned silence followed, and then my mother and I looked at each other and burst out laughing! But my sister meant EATING.
Yes, lots of times people can mistake what a person says for pregnancy.
I like your silver hair, and I also like your head wraps very much. I was just this last week thinking of trying to knit a rolled tube with a small needle for a similar wrap, and wondering how to knit it so that it has enough memory not to get over-stretched with use.
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OMG I LOVE your new hair! Of course, I’m a fan of short hair in general …
Now I am past the age of people deciding I am pregnant/should be pregnant/why am I not pregnant, which is a relief, but I have to say it drives me NUTS that any time you tell someone you have good news, the assumption is that you are pregnant. I consider it one of the failures of feminism that not having children is still seen as questionable.
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Your hair looks fantastic Kate – easy to say when it looks just like mine :-). I stopped dying in my early 30s because it was just a hassle and I always dyed my ears. The only downside I find is people think my children are my grandchildren (become quite an amusement to us now). It’s a sad reflection on our society that grey hair has to equal old and that people don’t look past the hair colour to see the face that is defiantly not old.
And thank you for showing St Catherines in the larger size. I bought the extra yarn because I wasn’t sure but now I know this is the fit I want.
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I think many who have responded are missing what seems the obvious to me and that is,
it would be easy to assume you’re much younger than 45. You got married not all that long ago so a hint
of a “big change” could easily be interpreted as a pregnancy rather than grey hair.
Yes, some women “go prematurely(?) grey” and today, there’s a whole generation of women choosing to have children in the 40s, but neither was the first thing I thought of simply because I thought you were much younger.
But, what does 45 look like? Well, I realize, like you, 45 looks great just as much as Gloria Steinem looked
great when she was photographed at 60 and said, “this is what 60 looks like.” It blows all assumptions and
stereotypes out the window, doesn’t it, that we’re “supposed” to look any way other than like ourselves.
That said, the silver hair is lovely and opens the opportunity for a new palette of colors to wear. I always envy
the silver-haired people who can wear grey so well (in the same way that blondes seem to look good in lighter
tan colors). Have fun with it! (And yes, you were brave and bold to shave your head! You go, girl! You’ve got
some spirit!)
I’m interested in trying this version of the shrug/jacket. Love it!
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Oh, love the hair! It makes your eyes just glow! Very flattering! The sweater is nice, too, lol!
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You look fantastic. I’m still trogging along dying my menopausal hair. LOL. I never thought baby? Hum… Cardigan also looks fantastic.
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I absolutely adore your hair – and this whole post. Yes to all of it.
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Kate, you look absolutely fabulous! You continue to inspire me and I am so grateful for always showing us your true and authentic self. (I met you at the EYF in March and was completely overwhelmed by your talk. You spoke your truth! Yep, I’m the one who cried. Sorry about that!)
Keep up he good work and be your wonderful self always! Give cuddles to Bruce and Bobby.
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My 8 year old is running around behind me as I read this article. She pauses to look over my shoulder and and says “that’s pretty.” Then she stops completely to look at your dancing in the field and comments “that is really pretty.” I have to agree, the natural hair and sweater are pretty but what is beautiful is the confidence and joy that radiates from your smile.
Gen
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I LOVE your hair!!! You are a true inspiration to me!
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I lost my hair due to chemotherapy at 40. My husband shaved it off for me and it was very liberating. It came back in with a very odd color and texture, but that was it for long hair for me. That was 35 years ago. My hair has gotten whiter over the years, but my hair dresser always told me many women paid a lot to get color like mine. That always felt good.
The new sweater /shrug size and color are very nice. I made a baby surprise with garter stripes, which turned out great. I may have to get this one.
Thank you for sharing your life with us.
Jane
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You are beautiful.
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Absolutely beautiful!
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Oh, you look so effortlessly chic with your “new” hair! Hooray for both good looking and easy care hair! I am exactly like you with the pregnancy comments: “pregnancy is, and always has been, so far off my radar that those cultural cues just don’t signify for me.” In addition, as some of my contemporaries are preparing for grandchildren at this point, the possibility of a baby didn’t even enter my mind. In fact, I was was 99% certain that the change you referred to in your previous post was a change in hairstyle, and am pleased to see that I guessed correctly. Here’s hoping for an easy-as-your-hairstyle menopause!
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What a good blog. Love the grey hair and also admire the tact and intelligence with which you approached the well-meaning but wrong assumptions. Your patterns and yarn may well bankrupt me or at the very least leave my husband peeved and my stash even larger, but the quality of your and Tom’s work is exemplary. Thank you.
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Unpleasant peppery appearance?
Many of us who are natural or transitioning are enjoying our natural color in this shade that you find so horribly unpleasant. Can you believe some people actually prefer it? 😝
FYI.
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My apologies – this is merely my own – very partial, personal preference. I will remove the “unpleasant” right now
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You rock.
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Your hair looks awesome! The shrug is pretty great too. I think most of society assumes all women want to have children and are confused when they don’t. Do whatever makes you happy!
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Kate, you look fabulous, so full of life! Of course just carry on being your own unique wonderful person and doing what calls to you.
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I think you are pregnant! with ideas, with va va voom, with projects, with colours, with life in you and around you. You look amazing with that cut!
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An new you! I noticed there have been more pictures of you smiling lately. I like that. Keep goimg, keep smiling.
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Your designs are magnificent, your thoughts are provoking and your hair is something I envy with hopes of silver for myself as my hair greys. As 46 yr old woman with no children, appreciate your candor … it seems hard for many people to grasp not having children whatever the reason. TY
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The hair cut and color are gorgeous! They both suit you amazingly.
I’ll confess I wondered about pregnancy based on your last post, in part, I think, just because of the shape of the shrug and where it falls on you in the more fitted size, held closed – it hits right above your stomach. And, frankly, some people online are extremely coy about this kind of thing, enough so that hinting about pregnancy has almost become the norma (not that that seemed like you at all). In any case, I also thought it might be your hair. (It would also never occur to me to *assume* you were pregnant, and comment as if that were the case!)
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I’ve just turned 30 but I’ve had grey hairs for years. Premature greyness is running in the family and I just couldn’t stomach the idea of having to keep dyeing my hair for the next X years hair like my mother does. So I had the hairdresser uncolour my hair last year and have been happily dye free for little over a year now
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OHMYGOD……you look fabulous!!! You should see my spiky grey hair and I would never colour it. I love it, really!!!
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Wow – your new hair colour and style both look fabulous. I’m 58 and my hair, without a natural dye bunged on every couple of months, is still infuriatingly salt-and-pepper. I’d love to have the beautiful silvery tones your hair has got.
PS – I’m another woman who never had the desire to have a child. I may well be odd in my views but, for me, the whole idea of pregnancy, babies, children, motherhood etc was just not my thing. I’m now post-menopausal and very happily childless (though I do love my teenage nephew very, very, very much).
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You look great! Love Mel’s take on St. Catherine’s!
People should mind their own business. I have children (by choice), but I don’t assume everyone else wants children, and I don’t care what their choice is. No one should have to defend their personal decisions. I’m pretty sure men don’t have these discussions about their hair and whether they want children.
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The Bible says that gray hair is a crown of glory. I started going white in my 20’s and now at 59 my hair is bright white. Sometimes I think that now that I am actually older my white hair might make me look older than if I colored it a bit, but then I come back to my senses and realize that growing older is a great gift. Your hair looks wonderful and that new design is genius.
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Welcome to the land of the Silver vixens. I stopped using dye at about the same age as you, and am now 56. What is interesting is going grey/silver can alter your colour palette. When brunette, I was olives and browns and greens and rusts, now vibrant primary colours, grey and white, deep jewel colours,
You look fab, as does the jacket.
Cheers
Isabelle
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Love your new look. You look fabulous Kate.
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Fabulous!!! You, your hair, and the shrug!!
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Love your hair and the st catherines in a bigger size 😊
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Love the total look. Agree completely that the new cut makes your eyes stand out. And I love the necklace! Adorable.
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Bravo. You look amazing, and your new hair really accentuates your gorgeous eyes. I love both versions of the shrug – I may well make both in the future, once my needles are less loaded with myrtle, Strathendrick and a bedspread sized Birlinn!
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Your new do is faboo! There’s something liberating in change, and this one frees up so much time and money. Enjoy!
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I love the silvery haired new look! I am 64 and parially gray. I never colored my hair for two reasons, the first was I couldn’t be bothered with the maintenance and second, who cares if I have gray hair? I am glad you chose to be who you are. I am inspired by your physical progress over the years. My husband had a mini stroke three weeks ago and is having some challenges that I am confident he will overcome.
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I must admit I was a little perturbed about the way you might react to the pregnancy question – as usual you have STUNNED us all. What beautiful eyes you have. This is so marvellous a transformation – brilliant you! As usual.
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I love women that do not colour their hair, natural is always great. I am a christian so, God don’t make mistakes, live they way you were created to be. Yah for you and all natural women. Stand up and be proud.
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Love the hair. I let mine go some years ago and my only regret is that I am not all grey — I envy your lovely color.
Also, love the red shoes. I’ve just been informed that none of my current shoes will be right for a new orthotic, but your link to Red or Dead is giving me some hope for an alignment of fashion, comfort, and correction.
Finally, don’t your readers know that it is unsafe and inappropriate to assume (or ask about) a woman’s childbearing condition unless one is in the delivery suite with her and she is being instructed to push?
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Someone has probably already said this, but it’s unclear whether hair dye is safe during pregnancy, so a fair number of women hold off on dyeing while pregnant, which may have led to people drawing their incorrect conclusions. :) Regardless, looks great!
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Erm… but no one knew I had cut or dyed, or stopped dyeing my hair… until this post
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That would be post-rationalisation. The only information Kate have was that her appearance had changed, no reference to how.
What is baffling me are the people who are taking her mention of increased _ease_ to imply a larger body. That’s just oddly illogical! If someone _requires_ a larger size it is fair to assume their body is larger than it was (but still insensitive and thoughtless to comment speculating why!), but if they _knit_ a larger size specifically for more ease, that’s… Really not the same thing.
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I love the garter stripes version.
I love your very short hair even more. Welcome to the very short hair club (at least for the time being)! The color is absolutely beautiful, great choice.
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STUNNING! If this is even possible, your face is even MORE beautiful with both your “new” hair color and style. You look like a movie star. This will free you up in many new ways!
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Oh, and I love everything about your outfit styling in these photos! But then again, grey is one of my favorite colors. And most importantly, I actually think that I like this oversized version of the cardigan and the striping is extremely elegant and accentuates its multi-directional structure.
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You are so beautiful ! That suit you very well !
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St Catherine’s is wonderful and so are you. _buys pattern_
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How brave of you, first in putting yourself out in the public bog the way you do, as an inspiration to all of us, but also by taking charge of your hairstyle so adroitly. Isn’t it exhilarating to hold the shears so close, then make that first cut? It’s something only grownups can do without fear of reprimand, cutting one’s own hair.
I have no expectation of silver, myself; at 53 I have some unpigmented kemp, but mostly mouse, just as my aunt does, and she’s in her 80’s. But I have let myself go–err, that is, I have escaped the tyranny of regular stylist appointments, and every time I cut my hair it feels like claiming my head as mine.
Not that I feel there is anything wrong with getting professional services, or caring for one’s appearance, or not caring, for that matter.
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Your hair looks fantastic. The short crop and colour both really suit you. I’m the same age as you, I have more grey hairs than a few years ago, but still mostly dark brown. I don’t know whether I will dye my hair or let it grow out when the grey takes over. We shall see. Like you, I’ve never had the slightest desire for children. I’ve never felt maternal and I don’t feel I’m lacking anything. It’s a life choice that was never on my radar.
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Your hair looks fabulous–it’s definitely newsworthy, as is the second edition of St. Catherine. I’m not much of a shrug wearer, but this one I could fall for, especially in two neutrals. (Why would anyone think you were pregnant? How bizarre.)
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Congratulations, Kate, on being silvery grey and 45! Indeed, that is grand and marvelous. Your new style is so intelligent and elegant, plus it shows off your lovely eyes to the max. I love your new hair, and I am very impressed that you did it yourself. Years ago, I decided I would just let my hair continue to be natural — I never did have the nerve, ever in my life, to dye it. I, too, cut my own hair — more money that way for yarn. St. Catherines is a terrific little jacket/shrug, and the striped version is stunning — oh my — how will I ever decide on the colors! Thanks for designing this. Oh, FWIW, I was puzzled about the pregnancy guesses — that never occurred to me, probably because I am also childless, although I do have four kitties.
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YE GODS I LOVE THIS NEW LOOK!!! Hurrah for your beauteous crop of silver grey hair but, most of all, hurrah for WEARING YOUR HAIR AND YOUR CLOTHES HOWEVER YOU WANT!!!
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Bravo! You look amazing. At 49, my hair is not yet silver, but I’m growing out the color and giving hair au naturel a go, too, so I may have some bias for delightfully silver hair.
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Ah, now I know why you wore those lovely scarf/wraps around your head! Love your new hair – but it does help that it is a lovely shade, you have beautiful bones, eyes and skin! Do you detect a little ‘grey envy’ here, ha ha.
As ever, a gorgeous knit too.
PS It never crossed my mind you might be pregnant, and I was amazed that so many did!
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My what big eyes you have!
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You look terrific. I am a firm believer in “growing old gracefully”.
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You have been rough on us Kate…..I was waiting for the second St Catherine sample and when I saw your new short grey hair face, I was unable to read your post. I just scroll down to look at the pictures and see this new Kate. I immediately thought she has had chimio and kept the new apart and now gives the announcement quite roughly. Then I read the post, the comments and
felt relieved. She has just cut her hair and let them grey. As a lot of women do nowadays everywhere. Vous êtes superbe, très femme, féminine, bien dans sa vie, bien dans sa peau. And the shrug is gorgeous.
Bravo et merci.
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As the first step in my “No Fear over Forty” program (that was 26 years ago) I cut my over-dyed hair into a very short crop and I have never looked back. My hair is silver and I have grown it out to shoulder length and love it. The grey and the crop look beautiful on you and bring out your eyes. I really really love the new St Catherines. Children should be a choice and not a dictate of society. Hurray for you!
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Your hair is gorgeous as your face is too, more importantly your spirit is beautiful. I am close to 70, youthful, swimmer of sixty years, pretty face I’ve been told and also told don’t grow your hair out. Having looked at your hair, I’m growing it out💜💕💜. Thank you and love your sweater. Where do I get the pattern?
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Kate – good for you. In your home environment, surely you see that nature wins every time – the colour is yours and suits you and it will change you. I did the same thing 15 years ago and took some flak for it but have enjoyed the silver. Then I grew it for the first time in years and love it.
I have a favour to ask – in the cover picture for St. Catherine, you are wearing my idea of a perfect shoe – RED!, and safe. I am always on the lookout for this type of shoe and colour since recovering from a complicated fracture of the ankle. I would love to know the make. Thank you.
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its a red or dead sandal – very comfortable – and worn with an orthotic. Can’t find the exact model, but this is v similar (I have a few pairs) https://www.schuh.co.uk/womens/red-or-dead-jade-ii-navy-flat-shoes/1374005820/
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As someone who wears really short hair, natural color, brown with some gray at 60, I think your hair looks great and suits you well. I, too, love wearing head wraps and think they look great on short hair.
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You look fantastic, Kate!
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You look beautiful !
Love and greetings from the Netherlands!
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Well done! Your hair looks fabulous.
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Congratulations on the grey! LOVE the hair!
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You look and are beautiful. I have children but get fed up with the pressure that women are put under and assumptions that are made but like you say hey ho and to be you is the best way to be. The menopause is certainly a challenge and even though I am trying to embrace it, there are days when it is difficult, usually made that way by others. I have lost my auburn hair, have lines and shadows and so on….. I now want to make this cardigan as a statement saying “This is me.”
Thank you Kate. You are an inspiration. xxx
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You look beautiful and I love that pattern. Xxx
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A skirt with POCKETS! You must have made it.
Oh, btw, nice cardi 😉
I’m also childfree by choice, and never assume pregnancy as a first cause for physical changes. (Also, I never ask “when are you having children” when someone announces a marriage.)
Love the hair – I’m really jealous of its consistent colour. I started going grey about 15 years ago, and it’s *still* more pepper than salt. And that pixie cut really suits you! Well done!
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Love your hair, the shrug and the cardigan!! Just beautiful!!!
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Love your hair!
It makes you look great and there is a spark you can see in your eyes.
Thank you for speaking up for those of us that choose not to have kids.
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Kate…I love your hair!!!The aftermath of chemo left me with grey hair that I keep very short. And I too was surprised to see how much I like it!
Julie
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Ha! I love your new hair and have a bit of envy as mine are not as far as grey as yours – which I would like very much. So thumbs up from my side of the channel. And St. Catherine is beautiful as well.
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I love the hair! We are the same age and also totally gray! The idea of letting my color grow out has been lurking more frequently. I have shaved it off before, and doesn’t it feel amazing? And I love the cardigan in stripes even more than the solid colored one. PS- I’ve never wanted kids either so I never thought for a second you were pregnant. Ha ha.
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Love the new hair! It suits you so well.
And I’m in love with idea of St Catherines as more of a loose jacket! I did like it yesterday, but wasn’t sure that I’d wear a shrug. With that extra ease? I’m totally sold and will now be digging through my stash for ideas!
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Love the short hair…. But doesn’t short need just as much upkeep as coloured? That’s what puts me off. You’re lucky to haven’t such a lovely natural silver tone. Could not have imagined you announcing a pregnancy in such a coy manner…. Or focussing on your appearance rather than the drastic change in lifestyle.
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so far it seems much simpler. The condition is much better – I just keep chopping bits off when I feel like it to keep the crop in shape.
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Lesson learned, once again. Don’t jump to conclusions! Going natural is much more preferable to having a child, for me at least. Never became a mother. Never dyed my hair. Have been disabled for 35 years.
Love your new look. Interesting, that where your hair is brown, my hair is whitest. I’m mostly still brown, but enough white to be noticed.
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I love your hair!! Grey looks nice on you.
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Nice ‘do!! I stopped dyeing my hair a few years ago and am delighted with the colour – I just wish I had done it sooner. As to the shaved head thingy…..I have wanted to do this for a long time. Just ‘cos. However, I don’t normally wear hats/scarves the way you do so there would a lot of questions. However, I may pluck up the courage to do it for charity one day.
St Cath’s looks good – especially in the two colours. So much knitting – so little time……….;-)
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your hair is AMAZING, Lizzi
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Love the hair Kate. Oh, and I ordered the St Catherine’s kit yesterday the minute I saw it.
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WOW! Your new hair is fabulous. Perversely the grey manages to make you look younger and healthier. The shortness is very funky too! Love it 💕
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Love everything about your hair. ❤️ Love st Catherine as a jacket. Great post
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I also did this years ago and you look gorgeous! I hadn’t colored it for long but when my husband got cancer and was going to lose his beautiful hair, I thought, who am I coloring this for?
I also made a conscious choice to not have children and I’m very happy
Kate, be who you are and glory in it!
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The short crop really suits you – looks perky and sassy, and shows off your bright, beautiful eyes!
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Wow I was totally wrong. I’m glad you’re happy. I’m almost 55 and not one grey hair. It runs in my family. My mom is in her late 70’s and no grey. Same with my brother and sister. It’s the funniest thing. My dad’s side they all went grey. At this point if I go grey I’ll probably color it. Kate you have great style and that’s something your born with. Grey hair for you will not give that appearance of “letting yourself go” it looks stylish! I also love the way your St Catherine sweater looks! Will you have any additional tutorials on how she did it?
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its just a matter of changing shades every two rows / rounds throughout – pretty simple
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Love the new hair do- color and cut enjoy it.
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I love how the stripes on this St. Catherine’s highlight the collar area–hadn’t noticed that shaping on the solid-color version. Of course, I’d never noticed that your hair was dyed, either, so clearly I am not particularly observant. I’ve never bothered with hair-dye, as I knew I wouldn’t bother to keep up with it. I have been on the search for a suitable short hairstyle, though. Whether I would keep up with that (or end up looking like shaggy, half-shorn lamb after 6 weeks)…only time will tell! For what it’s worth, I think your new color (old color? original color!) is charming.
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WOW, you look GORGEOUS!! congratulations !! strong women like you are an example!
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You look totally amazing, the colour makes you look younger and brings out the twinkle in your eyes.
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Love your hair. I’m 55 this week and will maybe soon be joining you. The voices in my head, the expectations of other women (my mother, 3 big sisters, sisters-in-law and friends) add up to a poison much of shoulds. I turn instead to the strong accomplished women on my makers web to make sense of this modern life.
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Love the new look and the new cardigan. Your grey hair makes your skin glow! I agree – you are looking amazing.
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Love the new “do!” Isn’t it TONS easier to get up and out? Love your natural hair color – why would you want a drab old brown when you can have your own which is downright spectacular?:)
:)
Joan
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un simple mot : ” court ” mais sublime.
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You look great with your new haircut. I recently did the same thing. I found it liberating and have no intention of letting it grow out anytime soon. Love the sweater too.
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You look terrific–the style perfectly suits you! And the silvery color is fabulous!
The cardigan is nice too. :)
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Kate you look amazing.
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Last post you and your new designs were so impressive… Now… You shine even brighter. I was almost totally grey at 45 myself. How much easier it was when I let it go. Thanks for sharing your empowerment.
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I do think your new look is pretty cute. But, to address the other part of your post, if you take a side view photo of your profile and announce some type of body change, some women will assume (as I did), that you are referring to something else other than a hair cut or hair color. I’m surprised at your other thoughts on childless women. Gosh, they are uncomfortable for me. I think that your followers love you and want to support you in all of your life’s journey, whether it’s childless or not. We tend to be your best cheering section. You are an inspiration to many of us. I think you might consider that your audience may draw different conclusions from time to time based on your content.
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Stop digging.
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She mentioned a change in appearance, not body. So it was a rather large leap to assume pregnancy! And, for the reasons about which she was perfectly clear, gauche and potentially insensitive to leap to congratulations prior to any announcement. I thought we had all learned this basic considerateness for our fellow humans by now.
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Oh my, you look smashing ! And I loved reading this post, I hope I’ll soon some to a point in my life where I say the same as you stated here – so thank you.
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You look gorgeous! Love the short grey look – it’s very playful!!
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Dear Kate,
I am sixty years old and started (reluctantly) dyeing my hair in my thirties when my 6-year old daughter saw my white hairs and asked; “Mom, are you going to die soon?” It scared her deeply so I did “dye soon”. Never really liked the idea, the constant maintenance, or the use of chemicals on my head that would later end up in our waters. Anyway, at age 50, I had my hairdresser bleach my hair platinum and put it a tinge of pink for fun, and my hair grew out a lovely white/silver color. I get compliments on it all the time and get asked if it’s my real color. I’m so glad I did this and that I look my age. I’m sure you will too. You are beautiful and I’ve loved reading your blog these last few years.
All the best,
Barbara
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You look fabulous! Welcome to the silver haired tribe.
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I just cut the rest of my dyed hair off this week, so I’m very interested in your thoughts. Congratulations on your new hair! I, for one, expected new hair; thanks for celebrating it. It looks great.
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I would never have thought that but on reflection many woman me included did not and do not dye their hair during pregnancy, because of the chemicals. Maybe many thought that.
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Kate…
I love it… all of it… this whole sharing is just right!
And your new look is sooo refreshing and gorgeous… thank you for your honesty and courage to pick up the shears.
I love both sizes of the Catherine!
You both are STUNNING!
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The color and cut of your hair suit you very well, my dear. Thank you for this lovely post and inspiring us to except maturing with a lighthearted attitude. Cheers!
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Kate, you look amazing, very gansta in the last photo with your super cool haircut and bling “Knitter” chain. As my husband said when I also recently cut all my hair off. “You shaved off ten years.” You look hip and cool and stylish. As for the pregnancy thing. People are dolts sometimes, saying silly things they shouldn’t. You have exactly the right attitude, humor. When I was a year old my mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Doctor appts at her gynecologist were torture as her tumor grew, everyone assumed she was pregnant and asked when her baby was due. It should be a law that no one asks about a woman’s pregnancy status until she has officially announced it herself. Sadly, that’s not how all people see the world. You are an inspiration in so many ways and now you have given us another reason to want to follow your lead. LOVE it! Best, Heidi
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Whoever said “Silver/grey hair does not make a woman look distinguished ( as it does a man), just makes her look old.” – sure got it wrong. You look very distinguished and natural with your well earned silver locks. Congrats on your bravery. I did the same many years ago and have not regretted it.
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You look absolutely fabulous!
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Your (new) hair colour is lovely – it suits the colour of your eyes! While short is probably carefree and fun, I’m not a fan simply because once it’s short, you’re kind of stuck with it. Enjoy it this summer, but as the colder weather sets in, you’ll probably appreciate the warmth from more hair, because I can’t believe it is healthy to keep one’s head wrapped 24/7. And you will look absolutely fabulous with your hair back to its old length, in its new (real) shade <3 Jeanne
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I cut my hair very short in the middle of the UK winter. It was just fine.
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Wow! I love your haircut and the grey. It is a nice shade of grey and suits you well. I also liked both sweaters.
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Welcome to the club Kate!! Silver and short!! Lucky💚💚💚💚
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You look great Kate!
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I think your new hair (both cut and your natural silver) is really beautiful, I also love the larger St Catherine’s shrug (more of the over-sized, even ‘baggy’, trend?) and the way the stripes ‘break up’ the garter stitch and emphasise the structure.
Brilliant!
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Congratulations on your choices to go grey and to not be pregnant! Western society urges the opposite on both matters and it takes a woman of honesty and strength to follow her own beautiful path.
The “pity” comments are indeed annoying. I applaud you for doing the things that are right for you.
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Grins all around! While I had a feeling your “radical change” was to do with cutting your hair, the silver was a surprise. The change looks wonderful on you! About this second St. Catherine’s cardi/shrug: love the way the striping shows off the change of direction of some of the elements like the sleeves from elbow to wrist and the collar. I also really appreciate being able to see how the different amount of ease looks on the same model. Thanks for all, and enjoy the new freedom your short hair in it’s natural color will give you!
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Love your hair and how daring you are to cut it off! I did that once and it was so freeing. It never crossed my mind that you were pregnant. I think people read your post about changing weight and assumed that. Keep designing so I have something new to look forward to knitting.
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I did guess about the hair cut but not that you would embrace the grey, you look fabulous Kate!
Love the bigger shrug too, your designs are just amazing.
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I have been following your posts for a long iime now and wanted to share that I always thought your head scarves wee a result of the aftereffects of your stroke. I love, love your short cropped silvery hair style. You have a very cute face which suits the short cropped look and I hope you keep it. I much prefer it to your head covering although I do understand that the damp in Scotland sometimes requires a head cover. Not everyone can carry off gray hair but your complexion certainly suits it and you have a very youthful face to carry it off very well. I, on the other hand, would look ancient if I let my hair go. I was perplexed as to why people would think you were pregnant… and don’t make the connection. I also had a mild stroke over 5 years ago which left me with muscle damage on my right arm but fortunately, other than feeling like I sometimes have a heavy armband on my upper arm plus prickliness in my hand, am perfectly fine. I was told at the time this would eventually disappear but realize now that it never will and have learned to live with it. Most of the time I am not even conscious of it. I wish your beautiful yarns were more available here in Canada. I am an avid knitter, having knit since I was 9 years old and self taught! Wishing you good health and happy designing. I did knit your owl pattern cardigan for my sister a few years ago when she went to Scotland on a holiday.
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Your hair is lovely and I think it really suits you.
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I enjoy your honesty in what you wrote today and raising awareness about what happens when people ‘assume’ things… made me stop a minute and think about what I have assumed with others lately… the most important thing most of the time is to just listen… listen to others and not assume that they feel a certain way….
I do like your hair, the color is very nice I think…. and the cut is very nice too! Your talk about the old brown hair you had is familiar to me, I had beautiful blonde hair up until about age 30 at which point it got darker and I started coloring… but often you could see I colored my hair which was embarassing to me… then I had a death – my husband and for a few reasons I also shaved my head… shaved all that blonde off… that was about 5 years ago and its grown back and I dont have the nice silvery color you do but I am leaving it as it is… its the way I am now at this time in my life.
These are ‘chapters in the book of our lives’ as they say! and the wisdom and growth that come with it all
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I absolutely love your hair. It suits your face and makes your eyes shine! I have been thinking about doing something similar myself but my hair is wavy and it is a bit of a nightmare to style when shorter. If I was still in my native Denmark I would have thought about having grey hair in a style sense a lot more because growing out colour and showing your hair’s natural tones has been the done thing for a few years.i actually love that because the worst thing to me is a woman, who used to have dark hair, trying to keep it her natural colour. The contrast between the face and the hair is usually too stark because the complexion also changes with age.
As for whether you were pregnant or not, it never even crossed my mind. To me the fact you were talking about a change in appearance meant that I could look forward to photos of you with a new hair colour, a new hair do (which it happened to be), a new outfit, a tattoo or you wearing a theatre mask related to design or yarn – I was even a little worried about you having fallen and hurt your face so you were black and blue. Perhaps pregnancy didn’t cross my mind because I have also never wanted children and when I had my blood clot, which resulted in an abdominal by-pass), in my late thirties it became an impossibility. I have never seen a more relieved face than that of the surgeon having to tell me that a pregnancy wouldn’t be possible with the by-pass in place when he realised I wasn’t going to breakdown because I wouldn’t be able to have children.
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I thank you for sharing your lovely hair and the process by which you decided to cut it all off. I, too, have wanted to do the same. I think you look younger, but more to the point, it is important to be who we are short hair or long, with or without, blue black or white. You’re an inspiration.
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You are beautiful!
The Catherine I can wear with lots of ease. Thank you for the option!
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I love your hair and the shrug! I’ve been wrestling with the question of when I should quit dyeing my hair. I’m a few years short of 60 and I always thought that would be my cutoff point. I did, however, cut my hair short a year ago and absolutely love it.
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I love your hair! I remember vividly when I switched to my natural color – a lovely grey (to my mind.) And I have my signature short hair, so it was easy. I was so thrilled and fascinated with it – and remain that way, watching it slowly go to silver all around. You look beautiful! And so does the St. Catherine’s in grey.
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Inside and out you are such a beautiful person. Tom and the boys are lucky to have you🤗😍😘
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You look absolutely beautiful and I love the garments in conjunction with the hairstyle. I have never been one to fuss with beauty so I am a little bit older than you and sporting a mix of grey and brown hair. I find it empowering to let it be and embrace the changes, but it is for every woman to choose what she likes and feels comfortable with. As another childless woman I appreciated the remainder of your post as well (including its nuances). My own experience is that society at large is still not very comfortable with women who make that choice.
Incidentally, I suppose be because of my own statistics, I was sure that you had simply cut off your long hair! I didn’t realize that you had been colouring before.
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Okay now you must tint it pink or lavendar with wash-out color. If I could be all silver I’d cut out the dye as well! Have fun with it:)
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Gorgeous hair-so natural and sophisticated! I let mine go grey at 45 too. I’m now 67 and have never looked back. I also love the looser and stripped version of St. Catherines. Will there be a modified pattern for that?
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no need for much modification – just knit one size larger than usual (8-12 inches of ease) changing shades every 2 rows
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You and your hair are beautiful!
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What a beautiful woman you are! I love your hair! I quit dying my hair 25 years ago. People said I would never get another promotion at work because they didn’t like “old women” representing them 😡. I have never regretted letting my beautiful white/silver hair show. Keep on being you. You are perfect as you are!
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Thanx so much for the post, Kate. But I have to say I’m annoyed for you. Why on earth would anyone come to the conclusion that you were pregnant, based on what you said! Honestly!! I get tired of oft getting the comment after being asked: “oh, you don’t have children…”, accompanied by a sympathetic forlorn look.
Anyway, enough rambling. Love the new haircut! How brave to do it yourself. I keep mine quite short too. Too much hair on a little person can be too overwhelming, and you have such a pretty face that I think it now suits you much better. I’m a redhead, and will never go such a lovely colour grey, so I’m not giving up my visits to my colourist just yet! ;-)) xxx
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Stunningly! Your new hair cut and new grey! They both suit you- bring out the impishness in your personality!
Bravo!
And love the striped version of your new pattern.
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Honestly, that’s a relief. You look fabulous. I am a 47 year old married woman for whom children have always been completely ‘off the radar’ and as I had always suspected you were of a similar mind you have been something of a role model for me over the years with your obvious joy in a fulfilling non child-centred life.
I can see how the comments yesterday happened (my mother was 45 when she had me) but as I was taught never to assume or ask about pregnancy, even when obvious, I was appalled.
On to style, my hair is long and not at all grey yet as in my family that happens late (a couple of my Aunts were still dark salt and pepper in their 90’s) but your stylish crop has me longing for a new, fresh look. The new cardigan is lovely too, and so has many exciting styling possibilities! So much more I could say but I’ll end by saying that I look forward to following, and joining you in a happily child free and creative life for many years to come xx
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You look gorgeous with your new hair colour and cut! Suits you so well – and the cardi is beautiful. Wonderful.
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You look stunning! Actually, if anything, the silver hair makes you look younger. You are quite lovely.
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love your hair and I did the same years ago short and no more color it was a liberating moment ! Since then I have grown it long again and showing my silver streaks with pride ! It feel right to be natural ! Enjoy 😊
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That was a very bold move with the clippers! Quite impressively gutsy to just have a go on your own. And then netting such a remarkable transformation. Bravo!
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Beautiful, both yousnd the cardy
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Brava!
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Love your hair, your cardigan, and especially your forthrightness! Carry on!!
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You look amazing!
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Terrific look – the hair AND the cardigan! I’ll be casting this project on in the near future!
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THAT HAIR IS SO FABULOUS!!
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You look absolutely beautiful with the fab haircut and great color!!
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I really don’t think that some of us were that far out of the realm of possibility to think you might be pregnant when you mentioned that your “appearance has recently undergone quite a radical change”. Most of us don’t know your age, so when you talk about making the St. Catherines bigger, what else can we think? So, I love both versions of the shrug, and your new hairdo is very flattering. Not everyone can pull off such short hair & not look mannish. Congrats on the new look & the new designs.
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*what else can we think?*
There are a LOT of reasons why someone’s size or shape could be changing. Why would you assume it’s that particular one? And even if it occurred to you that was one possibility, why would you think that it was appropriate to comment on it until or unless Kate decided to announce it? Yes, it *might* have been what she meant, but it’s a HUGE leap from that to congratulating her on it, as if that’s the only possible conclusion.
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Oh boy does that speak to one of my great dilemmas: 56 here and still hitting the dark blonde bottle. I would love, SO love, to stop dyeing and see what I look like with what I think is almost entirely silver white hair. But I don’t feel grown up enough yet. You are brave (but we already knew that, I saw the film of you swimming far out in the loch) and I am not that hair color-brave quite yet. But you look beautiful with it! Even more magical and sprite-ly than before against that fairyland of greens, blues, and purple heathers. Fantastic, Kate!
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I love your new ‘do! Ironically it makes you look younger and your eyes just pop!
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There is such a lightness if being when one releases ones self from expected norms. It shows in your face. You look as lovely as you always have. Kudos to you on your creative journey.
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Love your hair . So liberating. I’m almost 65 and only have a few grey hairs. A lot of people assume I colour my hair. ( I use the occasional wash in /out red colour) I hope I can embrace the grey when it comes.
As for pregnancy , I’m a midwife and knew you weren’t pregnant when I met you at Jane’s exhibition. No children.. another liberation. I’m sure a lack of children frees up so much space in your brain for creativity. x
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Kate are shining with your silver! I am 57 and have been grey for 17 years. As in all things, you need to feel comfortable and happy in who you are, what you do, and how you express yourself, as long as it causes no harm to others. You are doing all of those things in wonderful ways.
Keep on being true to yourself.
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Oh flippin’ tee hee!! This is a funny post on two counts; the pregnancy faux pas and because I too had got to the L’Oreal overload state. I’ve always coloured mine red but it’s grey in reality although not as lovely and silvery as yours. I decided to go the hard route and let it grow out naturally! Yes, I looked like a badger but hey! Then, two months and plenty grey later, I got a job interview! Had to colour it. Time to start again. Now, where are those hair clippers?? Your hair looks epic Kate. Decision well made!
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Congratulations! 😁
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I just love your new hair Kate! I started reading your blog when I was on sick leave having treatment for breast cancer in 2009. I found my first grey hair at the age of 21 and had been dying my hair for about 15 years when I fell ill. When it started to grow back after chemotherapy I decided to stick with the silver and have never looked back. A happy accident …
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♡♡♡ Grey, grand and gorgeous! ♡♡♡ Who knew your eyes are blue? Maybe you will design some fabulous headbands to keep your noggin and ears warm. Here’s to freedom…from “beauty aids” and children. And, perhaps, you can now pass among the masses incognito.
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you are a strong and great woman, I adore you and your designs. Stay so.
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I am also heartily amused on your behalf! Your new look is wonderful. I am going white, a bit? I am 48 and I have black hair. If I have a few white hairs they show up clearly. My mum has been dyeing her hair since about 45 and I swore I would never do it. Still, last year when my white hairs started to become more aparent, I was seriously thinking about it.
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I love your hair and the shrug. When I decided to stop colouring my hair I found it quite liberating to be who I naturally am.
By the way, when can we expect to receive Handywoman? I thought it was due in July?
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I LOVE your hair!!!
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Such a glorious new hair style. Many many years ago, the quite long hair on a young friend of my mother’s turned snow white before she was 18 years old. She wound it into a chignon and looked stunning for her entire long life. You made a great decision.
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Love love the new look.but the most important thing ( more than what I or anyone else thinks ) is that you feel at ease with your new look.
Have to saying I didn’t think for a minute that you were pregnant and think it was quite intrusive of people to make such comments.
Like many others I am more attracted to your shrug in a larger size and I think the stripes show the shaping much better. I wonder if it stayes on the shoulders well ?
Well done Kate 👏👏
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You and the hair look stupendous, wonderful, sexy. Plus, I adore the cardi – especially the larger size. (memo to self: ‘must finish the Fair isle jumper and last year’s stash bust top before starting anything new!’).
So ‘well done’ for going ahead and both cutting your hair and going grey. I’m 62 and still hitting the Clairol bottle, although it is becoming difficult: I think there is an anti-red campaign: my favourite colours are disappearing. After the ‘haircut (and dye) from hell’ this time last year, I’ve been growing my hair, but still dyeing. Now, I don’t know what to do. I always loved my red hair, and kept it the right shade – strong but not the lurid colours my salon whipped up – but I know it’s white underneath. Yet I cannot take the plunge – I know I will have to sooner or later, but both I and my chap love it as it is: I always dress outside age -expectations, so why not hair too … tho’ dyeing it is a faff.
By the way, it never occurred to me that you were pregnant. I to have never wanted children and neither did my late husband – and nor my long-term beau: Atlas – so it’s lovely to hear someone else who feels the same – another ‘snap’! I always knew I wasn’t mother-material and always loathed it when people give me pitying looks … I often end up being a bit too feisty in my responses. I really thought your new move might be into clothes production!!
But well-done all round, more wonderful creations!
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You look absolutely stunning!
My hair was dyed for decades (blonde) and 2-3 y
to 3 yrs ago I had it dyed white and as it grew
out it was white. Now I have it cropped and
with big specs it looks amazing. I’m 67.
Welcome to the best hair club in the world.
Babies were not on my radar either. No regrets.
I feel so free and life is knitting and travel.
Mary x
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Love the hair! It makes you look even more
Lighter! Just stunning.
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Your wonderful face sets off the hair to a T. I wish I could do this. I’m 70 and only now turning grey (and pregnancy would be a miracle). The back of my head is so flat, I think I would look very strange with my hair this short regardless of the color. Oh YOU!!
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I was thrilled to see your new sweater cardi jumper AND your new haircut AND your natural hair color! You are very brave in everything you do…always looking for an adventure I see. You look absolutely fabulous. I am next! I will be 69 next month and I have waited way too long. You inspire me.
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Kate, you look fabulous. Having spent the past 15 years colouring my hair, I understand a bit about the fuss. But when mine started going gray, it was less than attractive. I pondered what to do, and then landed in a workshop with Lucy Neatby, who turned up with a magenta pixie cut! That was my aha moment, and I have been an assortment of fairground colours (though mostly purple) ever since. It means I don’t need to wear makeup, and on the occasions when I have to fade it out for work purposes, I become essentially invisible. Like many women over 70… (And once I was mistaken for Lucy, that was a huge compliment)
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LOVÉ LOVÉ LOVÉ the short hair on you! Last year, at 50, I too got sick of touching up my roots and putting chemicals all over my head AND I went with a pixie cut. I never looked back. You my dear make short hair look grand. Your hair color and cut are such a wonderful new look on you. Congrats! Love this version of the cardigan so much more than the blue original. I am always blown away by your creativity. Thank you for continuing to inspire so many of us.
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Wow! It looks great! Feel the freedom!
A few years ago I lost all of my hair due to chemotherapy! I never thought I was ready to go grey, but the Dr. said “When it regrows, no hair dye for awhile.” My thought was “OF COURSE not!” But eventually, I embraced it! So glad I did! I freed up time and money…..for more yarn and knitting?
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Welcome to the “cotton top club”! I too have been silver since my early 40’s. Runs in the family.
All of your posts are such a treat and I enjoy them so much. I am very photosensitive so have to stay out of the sun. Enjoying your outdoors pictures and knitting are such a treats. As for the pregnancy faux pas – I learned very early never to ask about it, wait for information to be volunteered. Keep up all your efforts with your knitting and your health. Well done!
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Kate it looks fabulous! And so does the cardigan/shrug (yet another one of your knits to add to my list). I’m also embracing the no more dyeing thing and am not entirely sure why I did it for so long!
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Ha ha, I thought the second cardi was going to be a. Over up for your wetsuit!
LOVE the hair.
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Cover up, not a. Over up… thank you predictive text!
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Love both! The hair and the cardigan! I am starting down the same path, slowly growing out my colored hair, waiting to see how much gray there actually is beneath. At 62 I think it’s time to face reality and I’m just tired of the upkeep. Hope mine looks as spectacular as yours!
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You look great!
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I don’t understand why people think that they have a right to comment on a person’s hair colour, weight, clothes that they wear. I have grey hair ( it happens when you get older ). I have put on weight as I can’t walk too far (due to arthritis), but it does mean that I take advantage as a passenger to soak in the views. I also wear jeans even though I am nearer 60 than 16 ( holds hands up in horror), because I like wearing them. So in short I have reached an age that as long as I think I look ok then I am 😁. So Kate if you want to keep your beautiful silver hair then do so. Continue to wear your stylish
clothes with pride. And on a purely selfish note, continue to produce more beautiful knitted garments.
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You look great, as you always have!! Love the new hair…did you donate your braids to Locks of Love?
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LOVE the hair!!
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Kate I absolutely love your new look! It is so beautiful 😍and highlights your beautiful eyes, yay for gray! I am just past 50, and childless, there are so many points in your post that speak to me – thank you. I really hadn’t give the new St. Catherines design much attention, but I’m sure looking now, great inspiration ❤️
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you are so beautiful, no matter if brown or grey. but grey is much more elegant!
and the cardigan with stripes is quite what i want to knit next! fantastic!
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Everything about this post is terrific, thank you! As a traditionally built woman, I love the look of this as I normally steer clear of cropped items. You look brilliant and I firmly believe in embracing The Silver instead of ‘grey’, which somehow has more miserable overtones for some. We will all celebrate your new look with you.
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Your hair colour and length are just fantastic. I used to have beautiful red hair (even if I say so as shouldn’t) but it is playing horrible tricks on me now. The front is white and the back is reddish brown. I keep on saying I won’t have it coloured anymore (to try and get some red back in it) but my friends won’t let me because they say that wouldn’t be me! Perhaps I should get the shaver out myself and have a go too. Then it might come back one colour only. Cardigan – oh was there a cardigan in the blog?!
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Looks fabulous – I took the same path years ago and now sport my silver bob . Pleased I did with all the talk of hair colour being carcinogenic.
Welcome to the Silver Club.Colours take on a different hue when your hair is silver.
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I embraced my natural greying hair about 7
years ago (now 49) and I also haven’t looked
back. I started going grey in my 20s and years of dyeing had taken its toll on my scalp. I fought with the hairdresser to go really short like yours and it was totally liberating! Funnily enough, people now comment now on how they like my colour and ask where I get it dyed!!
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I had seen someone’s guess of pregnancy in the comments on Jean Miles’ blog last evening and said to myself, “No. I bet she cut her hair short.” I let my gray grow in more than ten years ago. Not only do I feel liberated, but I actually love what was beneath the dye. Your change looks just fine, Kate.
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Hi, I prefer the larger version of St Catherine’s shrug to the smaller fit. I’m tempted to have a go. Incidentally your new hair is great , it really suits you. You go girl x
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Congratulations on your new hair! I stopped coloring mine a few years ago and realized I’m still quite blonde but no longer have roots that show due to the whiter hair coming in. My dad died at 86 and still had blond hair, very little blond hair. I hope I don’t follow his route! I became a mom at 44 which was a big surprise. I thought I had the flu. I never was one to want children and I admit it has been a hard road at times but a pleasant surprise in many ways.
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Just wanted to add that I’m approaching 61 and the son is almost 17. That was some flu!
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Love the hair! I’d do that if my gray was just not so mousey in colour.
The extra ease in the jacket looks amazing. I was contemplating this pattern, but as in my former post, I wish it was in an aran weight. I’m madly trying to use up stash, before I get any more wool.
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Heh – I recently went back to coloring mine (I’m 53) not because of the silver, which I actually really like, but because my brown is – and always has been – so incredibly boring!
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Oh my, absolutely wonderful, all of it….hair (cut and colour/non colour), outfit, scenery, your total enjoyment of LIFE!!!
You’ve got me thinking about hair colour and cut…….I am white at the front, and the rest is being very slow at losing colour. My dad, his mum and sister were all white haired with age…..I am getting very frustrated….I have my hair long enough to scrag up, out of the way, as if short (but it doesn’t need cutting as often). Maybe I should go for a very short crop, it might shock the rest of my hair to go white!!!!!
Thank you for all you share ☺
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Ah, Kate! Stunning! You absolutely inspire me! I have been battling the grey for far too long and your decision is brilliant!
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❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️👍👍👍👍👍👍You look fabulous! You’re my hero warrior women! Love St. Catherine, too!
I am 58 and afraid to try anything new. Just colored my hair to keep it red. Discussed helping the hair go totally grey with the hairdresser. Next time, I said…….I think you have inspired me to go for it next time. On another level, the kids living in another house, which we own, are in the process of moving out. Friends have instilled the idea of making it a studio and rentable maker space. I’m terrified about taking the leap………l.
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Go for it Tracy!
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Take the plunge, Tracy. What is the worst that could happen? If you don’t like your cropped grey hair, have it dyed and let it grow longer. You are 58 and no longer need approval from others. Just go for it!!
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So interesting to hear that some assumed your announcement was a pregnancy; it never occurred to me, for some reason. Love the haircut and I’m guessing you’ll love the freedom that comes with a short style and no coloring. Beautiful sweater design, btw. :)
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I love the cropped hair – the color AND the cardigan. I really appreciate seeing it in two different sizes on you – it’s amazing what the change in ease does for the style.
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LOVE your hair! It is beautiful, authentic, and truly stunning. Thank you for deciding to be just you.
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Love the new hair! My assumption about your mentioned change was a summer’s worth of loch swimming created super buff shoulders and the need for knits with more ease in that area :)
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I’m a L’Oteal fan but I’m now 60. Like you I have shades of peppery grey lurking at the roots. I don’t quite have your courage to lop the lot off but when I move and finally retire next year, I may get my hair dresser to strip the colour out and see what the colour looks like. Yours is just lovely
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I just love you new hairdo. And how clever are you with your cutting. The style really suits you well, colour looks amazing too and it’s not from a bottle.
Also adore the new St Catherine’s cardigan, a fabulous pattern.
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Your hair looks great, you look great, you’re in a good place, you totally rock!
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I love your hair (you are gorgeous!), and the cardigan, and the way you embrace yourself just the way you are! Thank you for being such an inspiration and encouragement! 😊💗
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Hip do!
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you look stunning! you ARE stunning. Yay you.
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Your silvery grey crop really suits you Kate, you look great (as does your outfit, as ever! Love the new design). I embraced my own greyness about ten years ago, in my mid thirties; I’ve generally had short hair and enjoyed playing with colour but eventually I got fed up with dyeing it. I love my grey hair, it reflects where I am in my life. I think grey/silver/white hair looks wonderful long or short as part of that person’s individual take on life.
I have never felt the desire to have children and as my partner is the same that’s the way it worked out, although we both enjoy time with other people’s enormously (I used to be a primary school teacher). However I know people who do, desperately, want children and I have learnt from them just how painful even the most well meant comments or questions can be.
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Hi
47, greying blond and also not pregnant. Since I’m blond the grey doesn’t show up as much, but I just couldn’t be bothered with messy hair dyes any longer and suddenly I felt more me than ever before. And on the pregnancy topic – I don’t know what it is with people that makes them first of all assume that all woman’s top wish is to have children and secondly so bluntly blunder in on a very personal and for some a very emotional topic. I don’t know how many times you be been asked if I was pregnant when in fact I was a few kilos overweight (also a very sensitive subject) and then that I should hurry up now and get kinds before time runs out… I’m so happy I’m starting to look a little bit older so I don’t get those awkward questions anymore.
You are such a strong beautiful woman and the grey short hair really suits you. 💕
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I LOVE LOVE LOVE your hair! It’s fantastic. And the sweater is great too. I’m totally enjoying knitting the “Traigh” maybe St. Catherine’s will be next. As for kids? You’ve got Bruce and Bobby. Just keep being Kate.
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PS I must have missed yesterday’s post .
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I must apologise as this was my first thought. Your comments made me sit up and think and I’ve taken them on board- thank you for pointing out remarks that could cause hurt to someone.
On your hair- it’s great! It suits you short and I love the tomboy look. Mine is going grey and I haven’t dyed it and been having the same internal conversation!
Take care, x
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Looks fabulous and beautiful! Love it
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Wow, you look incredible. I’m a month off 49 and just starting to grey at the sides, part of me wishes it would hurry up and grey all over because I do love a chic grey crop.
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You look fantastic Kate, it really suits you! x
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As a hairstylist, I commend you on your bravery to just lop it off! I have tried to talk clients into going natural after years of colouring(I know not a good economic decision I’m told) but I always want people to have fuss free, happy hair days. Once they take the plunge they don’t know why they waited and are so amazed at no upkeep(so to speak). The picture of you with your wings out and grinning to me says it all :) It shows your beautiful eyes to advantage ;)
I love the stripped look of the second shrug as well, both looks are so versatile and yet a tad different.
As an aside, my mother-in-law asked me if I was pregnant/or going to get pregnant after over 25 yrs of marriage to her son. I roared with laughter and said DO THE MATH! Having the good fortune of being able to choose that sort of decision, is never really understood by the masses who go down the opposite path. That said like you, we prefer ‘fur babies’ :)
Thanks for another wonderful design!!!!
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Love your hair! Love your designs too!
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Oh how pretty! The colour and the ruffly feathery texture look lovely.
And you will have the fun of playing with the colour schemes and styles that complement your look.
When I had a dramatic short haircut a few years ago I became very aware of my ears. Same for you?
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Love it! Hair and jumper-your designs make it so difficult to choose what project should be next!!! Thank you!!
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My dear, you are beautiful! The new hairstyle and natural color are wonderfully flattering! I love that you model your fab designs for us. So odd that many people question life choices-I am so admiring of people who understand early on that they don’t want children or those who have a clear career path from a young age! A happy, satisfying life can be endlessly variable-no justifying required.
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Stunningingly beautiful! I was expecting a new haircut, especially because long hair can be a nuisance with your swimming!
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I was boggled by the pregnancy comments, because my first thought was “radical haircut”, and it looks stunning on you!
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‘Wonder if it’s short hair’ was my first thought on reading yesterday’s post.
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I think your hair looks very attractive and that the world needs to know that grey is beautiful too. I like this version of your shrug, and being addicted to stripes am inspired to knit this.
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Love your hair. My hairstylist describes the color as “platinum highlights “. I can’t wait for mine to go completely “platinum”!
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Lookin’ good, no…GREAT!
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Beautiful, both your hair and the sweater! You be you and everyone else be damned.
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No, no, it was coupled with the promise of an oversized cardigan… I did think it a little strange that you might be expecting, but you never know nowadays! I LOVE your hair, the colour, the style, the cheeky pixie look it lends you. I’m twice your age (well not quite…) and my hair is resolutely refusing to go grey, just a litte in front, so I have to keep spending fortunes at the hairdresser. I’d like nothing more than to be all-over grey. You look fabulous (and I quite like the cardigan too!).
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The Grey haired you looks wonderful. I love it!
Plus you do have a baby or two in the form of labradors. How are the dastardly duo behaving?
That stripy jacket form is so yummy. It is lucky it does not fit me or Mel may never see it as I would sneak it away at an event. Muhahaha!
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Congratulations, Kate! You look stunning! :-)
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Wowza. You look marvelous! Most of my life, I had long brown hair. My aha moment was a running race where the finishing photograph was taken from above. I had a huge white stripe along the roots of my brown hair. That was it. No more dying and off it came. What fun!I think your hair looks stunning. A really fresh new look. Do you find the color palate you once wore had changed? Mine has. Marvelous new you.
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You are beautiful in so many ways.
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You look amazing Kate!
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Wow! You look amazing. I think that there are more women these days deciding to go with their amazing grey shades. It took me more than ten years longer than you to ditch the colour, but I’ve never regretted it. I had gone blonder (and in my head I was never a blonde), the colour wasn’t taking properly so it didn’t look good for long. Strangely I like the tiny bits of dark hair at my temples and nape of my neck – a reminder of my old natural colour. Hope you find it as liberating as I have.
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Dear Kate-your new hair is gorgeous! Once again, your bravery shines! May you enjoy finding “your” color palette to set off that silver crown of hair!
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I’m loving your hair. I have short hair, and every time I’m at the hairdressers, I am tempted to go really short. I don’t think I have the bone structure though. The larger cardigan has a completely different look, I like,the less fitted styles.
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I’m also a woman who never thought of having children and when someone saw me knitting and asked if I was pregnant my reaction was very like yours! I love your hair and, like Jo, I even like this version of St. Catherines even tho I’m not a shrug person. I like the stripes too. Anyhow, you look adorable with your hair short and silver.
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Love the hair and the cardigan. Lol, I am also dumb founded why people would think you are pregnant.
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Love your hair.
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Beautiful!!!!!
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I’m a follower but have never posted here — until I saw your haircut!! I love it so much! I think because it suits you so perfectly. I’ve always thought (from afar) that your most charming feature was the shape of your face, and that haircut brings that out so beautifully.
And I love that you used clippers and did it yourself. Stay with it… you can try different tuffs and directions, etc. yourself. Way to go!
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Hi Kate.
You look different ……..and if you like your new hair,it’s OK.
I’m 75,and I only have some grey hair about 1 year ago,so I stop coloring and wait .
Regards
Evelyne
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Kate, your new look is absolutely FABULOUS!!!!! And I adore not just the natural, silver look but the short cut! It looks amazing on you!!!!
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Damn! I love the hair AND the sweater!
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What a wonderful post. Your grey hair is stunning – a beautiful statement about your beautiful self. And what an intriguing and lovely design, this St. Catherines. Heading to Ravelry as we speak!
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The cropped look really suits you, as does the grey.
It didn’t cross my mind to think that you might be pregnant- maybe because babies are not really on my radar either?! I was mystified as to what the change might be.
I love St Catherine’s in the neutral stripe- I am veering more and more towards neutral coloured knits..
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I really like this version with more ease and the stripes give quite a different and, also interesting, look. I’d love to go silver, but as I eye my mother, I suspect I will go directly to white. Well, whatever, eh? You have quite the playful look about you in these photos. Enjoy your new look and “do”!
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Stick with the crop – it looks really stylish and suits you much better than the longer cut.
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And….would love to see a kit for the striped version…..
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You look great! Still the same happy face and wonderful style. Look forward to seeing you play with a different colour palate to go with your hair! Wish I had the courage to join you.
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It is a very becoming hairstyle! I love it. You are beautiful!!
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Beautiful! I’m 56, soon to be 57 in a few short weeks and I’ve been contemplating the shorn look for awhile. I, too, am tired of the touch ups. I’ve been letting my grow out, but I’m losing patience! By the way, the cardigan is beautiful also.
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I did the same hair “revolt” several years ago and never regretted it. Love my short salt and pepper, air dry hairs. You look fantastic!!
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You wear it so well. Love the new knit.
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Gorgeous!! And a soul sister…I am also a woman who has never wanted children, and have spent my life having to ‘explain’ that to people. (Why is that even necessary??)
I added highlights to my hair once in my late 20s, decided it was expensive, toxic, and silly, and never looked back. I still get compliments on my hair (which I do absolutely nothing to) all the time. It never held me back professionally.
To each their own, right? I ADORE the look!
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You look terrific! I am a big fan of short hair (without dye).
Keep being strong!
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WOW! Absolutely stunning, you look wonderful!
Isn’t it great when these risks pay off?!
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I love your natural hair colour. I never dyed mine and the dark brown has a rather obvious skunk-like stripe in the middle, but the rest of the hair is beginning to follow suit and I believe it makes me look a little less stern when I am concentrating. (I have been told in the past that I can look quite angry when I concentrate… not a clue why…).
I also love your latest pattern…
Kitty
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Wow! You look even more beautiful with your new hair style!
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Absolutely love it, your hair will be in lovely condition without the dye , and a whole new colour scheme wardrobe to look forward to, what’s not to look forward to.
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Yes, I wondered if it would change the colours that suit a person. Kate always carried off really vibrant colours in the past. Will that change?
I do think it’s a big issue that affects women so much more than men, although I imagine going grey at an early age, say in your 20s is hard for both. I’ve got a bit of grey, but my biggest problem is thinning hair, which I’m really self conscious about. Perhaps I need a lesson on how to stylishly wear a head scarf.
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Wonderful, carry on!!
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I love all of this–the hair and the cardigan. I’m not generally a shrug fan but this version of St Catherines may convert me.
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