I knit a lot, and I take knitting everywhere I go. I knit in cafes, on trains, waiting for buses, standing in queues. One of the nice things about knitting is the conversations about knitting it provokes. I listen to memories of knitting socks in air-raid shelters, knitting for new babies, knitting mini-dresses in the 1960s. And every now and then, I have a conversation that goes:

Other person: I can’t knit. I couldn’t manage it.

Me: Yes you can. It just takes a bit of practice.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, I had this conversation with someone who was buying yarn to crochet a hat:

Me: I can knit, but I really can’t crochet.

Other person: Yes you can. You just need to practice.

And I thought, yes. As I’m very fond of saying to various family members who like teasing others but aren’t so keen on being teased: if you dish it out, you have to take it.

And so, I give you my first attempt at crochet.

(It’s a dishcloth. In case you’re wondering.)

What do you think you can’t do? Today might be a good day to give it a whirl.