I learned to crochet at Ally Pally 2 years ago, and since I learned with a borrowed hook, I needed to get some of my own, sharpish.

So I did.

I wandered round the show, and stopped at a stall selling Vogue crochet hooks and knitting needles. I bought three hooks - an 8mm cream one, a 7mm lime green one and a 6.5mm pale blue one.

Although I've since bought many, many crochet hooks, including the super wonderful ergonomic clover ones, that green one is the one I've used the most.

It made the Tea Scarf, it's made many a twirly scarf or a one-skein scarf (from the Debbie Stoller Happy Hooker book), and it's currently making a wavy stole and a secret scarf (yes, two projects at once, don't you just love how it can multitask?).

On Saturday night though, it had a much more important function.

I firmly believe it's never too early to get kids involved with stuff, and at 13 months, my niece is growing up very, very quickly. Quite apart from being able to run around after the cats, she's able to hold crayons the correct way up and is beginning to draw. What's even more amazing to me is that when given a box of three crayons in Pizza Hut on Sunday, she not only took them out to play with them, but also put them back in the box - all facing the same way. On purpose. Several times. This kid is smart. Certainly smart enough to hold a crochet hook and start getting acclimatised to it.

Ok, so she used it as a drumstick for a bit, and chewed on it a little too - but then, so do I.

So although she's a little young yet to start crocheting, she was at least examining it and trying to figure out what the hook was for, which, I think, is a good sign and may indicate a future crocheter, and at that point, my first crochet hook will become her first crochet hook.

It just feels right, somehow.