My mother and grandmother spent many a weekend patiently explaining the basics of cross stitch, applique, knitting and crochet to us when we were younger. I can’t say I do any of these things now, but I know the basics and will go back to them one day when I have more than two seconds spare time. My current modus operandi is to smile sweetly at my nan and ask her to whip up all the sewing and knitting projects I find. The three older children in our extended family (5, 7 and 8 years) are all keen to sit with their great grandmother and stitch away. It’s a nice quiet activity for them to do with her after a morning of tearing around the house and garden like mad things.