I really prefer to use metric measurements as I find them easier to be accurate. I can use either though, and change from one to the other frequently! (I made two cakes today and used metric weights for one and imperial for the other.)

Being Dutch I grew up with metric measurements, thanks to Napoleon - his only virtue as far as I'm concerned - then lived in England before they converted and had to get used to it quickly, both at the butcher's and greengrocer's as well as fabric stores and petrol stations.

I have loads of cookery books using imperial - no problem, I used to do the arithmetic but now have electronic scales that switch from one to the other with the push of one button.

When using quilt patterns an inch-ruler is useful when using American patterns, that's why I bought one. But a metric schale on an imperial ruler sounds crazy.

When digitising I prefer metric and strangely enough American tutorials use metric too.

Just an extra point - I rarely do conversions (except for Mike who isn't quite bilingual) - I simply use whichever system of measurements seems appropriate for the job I'm doing.

OH Darn, I am constantly changing the settings in my digitising programs, because I just cannot visualise metric measurements. I grew up with imperial and Aus changed over to metric when I was a teenager and I just have never mastered it.

When I roast I convert the weight to imperial, work out how long it should take, at what temperature, then I convert the temperature back to metric to set the oven. Same with baking except that I have kept all my old imperial measuring sets and scales so it makes things easier.

I've been doing this for over 45 years and you know what they say about old dogs???! LOL!!

hugs n roses, Meganne

1 comment

by spendlove 03 Apr 2011

It sounds as if you spend a lot of time doing arithmetic! That must be doing your brain good. Quite remarkable that we can do it really.

Both. I grew up with metric and had too learn inches and yards. I know both but the difficulty for me is how many inches are x amount of centimeters. I have to look at a measuring tape. The only thing I know without looking is 10 cm equals 4 inches. Used to be on most skeins of yarns.

Grew up with imperial weights & measures but it changed mid 70's.I find ,I use which ever is handy in the measuring department but cooking is metric.I suppose we are a bit like people who are bilingual we chop & change depending on the situation.
I always get tape measures which are inches one side & centimeters on the other because it is often very hard to see mms when measuring things that need to be accurate

When I make cakes I always use imperial - mainly because my scales have the old fashioned brass weights but when I sew I use metric. How crazy is that??

Inches and Yards for me...definately! I wish there was just one type!

I use both depending what I am doing, but sometimes find myself converting to the imperial. I don't understand when someone says they are metric ??? tall. I still can visualize the Imperial measurements. Still have tape measures with both Imperial and Metric. Lyn

Living here in the USA for 72 and a half yrs all my rullers & measuring tapes have both and inches & yards are what I have always used. Buuut being an old nurse & dealing with meds was an entirely different way. Had to learn metric for volume(fluid/Liquid) & wts for grams. Along with all that you had to know Latin to read the prescriptions or orders the
Dr. wrote. Not like that now. No Latin for nurses any more. Everything also comes prepackaged & measured except for some of the injections that you have to pull up in the syringe./Lillian

Good old USA scared us when I was in grade school, early 70's, that we were going to metric. Well we are still waiting....either works, once you know how to convert

Australia changed to metric measurement between 1970 and 1988. We were teaching it in primary schools in 1972 and in secondary schools in 1973 and by 1974 most services and basic food supplies had converted to metric. Packaged goods and manufacturing industries converted by the end of 1977.

We started converting 40+ years ago and we've had at least 23 years to get completely used to the metric system.

However, people who purchased measured goods, like quilting rulers or patterns, from overseas had to keep in mind the imperial/metric equivalents, so much of Australia's population is still working on dual systems - it's not that difficult.

Of course, it's a tad confusing for the butcher if you go into his shop and ask for a kilometre of mince meat instead of a kilogram, i.e. about 2 lbs, and if you only want about 1 lb you ask for 500 grams.

I prefer to think in terms of metric measurement but find myself continually tested by old knitting patterns and overseas craft magazines. I like the 'general' measurement of the quilting rulers in imperial and find the cutting boards measured in 1" grid lines excellent for many uses but then I convert automatically to metric for finer measurements and my dual tape measure is a treasure.

Like you I use the two systems and don't think a lot about it. All the old, old imperial measurements we seniors had to learn by heart as children and then do sums, converting from one unit to the next, e.g. pounds, shillings and pence for money, or ounces, pounds, stones and tons for weight, and, of course, the old imperial lengths like thous and inches to furlongs and miles, gave our brains excellent daily workouts - remember the old daily Mental Tests? No wonder we could, and still do, manipulate numbers in our heads and beat the computers at the supermarket checkouts!!!!

Long again - as usual - but it's a fascinating subject and often a very confusing one for those among us who are challenged by numbers.

AlmaG.

1 comment

by spendlove 03 Apr 2011

Thanks for such a detailed and interesting response! We seem to have a lot in common.

I am an imperial girl, have tape measure with both metric and imperial and one of my older cook books has conversions so they are a couple of my can't live without things! My cutting mat also is in both. Love your new avatar! Hugs Sally

I mostly use imperial but also keep ruler close by for metric. I can use either but I guess I'm just use to imperial being here in USA.
Carol

Being American we were taught U.S. customary units of measurements which has common roots with the British imperial units. Almost all of our rulers are now marked in metric and US measurements and I often use the metric since it is more accurate. I know the scientists, pharmacist, and doctors use the metric more than the general population here in the US. It would be good if all countries could agree on using one universal measurement and one universal type of monies. Whatever it would be I would be willing to make the change.

Imperial for sure. I even changed my embroidery machine to imperial sizes. We have metric here and I hate it. Can't teach an old dog new tricks,I guess. Maybe I am just to stubborn to learn,HEHEHE!!!!