Dishcloth,100% cotton, handknitted by a member of Eastbourne Blind Society, 2006

When I was at school, we had to crochet a dishcloth - it took a long time to make and the edges just would not stay straight. After so much struggle, it seemed far too precious to use. Eventually, two decades later, I finally did use it - what else can you do with a dishcloth? It didn't last very long and was thrown out. That was before my interest in everyday textiles developed, or was it? The memory has stayed with me - it was pale yellow cotton with a pale pink stripe at both ends. I remember my mother complaining that the yarn recommended by the teacher was very expensive.

My mother used to cut up old underwear that was beyond mending for cleaning cloths. This was a source of great embarrassment to me - wiping the table with my father's old underpants was taking recycling a step too far.