Hello everyone! I’ve been so busy working on crochet projects for friends all around the globe. I never realized how truly time-consuming it is to crochet, until pregnancy! Wow. I feel some serious fatigue from it but at the same time I enjoy it SO much.

The above picture is an owl mobile/decoration that I made for my friend Wendy. She just had a son a few weeks ago and I wanted to make her little boy something special for his room.

The owl expressions are something I had in mine like…

1. “hoot hoot! So
HAPPY!

2. “HUH?! Bed time?

3. Good night!

Ever since I posted this picture on instagram (anniegurumi) and WeChat, it’s been a hit! I got some people who want to pay me for a mobile. (Thankfully, since shipping anywhere but China is pretty expensive)

Currently, I’m working on another owl set, this time with a lavender theme for a Weddingbee friend in Australia. She’s having a little girl in April and I’m pretty sure she doesn’t read my blog so it’s safe to post it here! She offered to pay me or buy me things in Australia for our baby. I’m very excited to finish this mobile, my plan is to have it with some flowers and leaves on a vine that holds it up.

I’ve had always had trouble with sewing and embroidery. No matter what I do, it seems that it is always crooked or just doesn’t look right. It wasn’t until the owl mobile for Wendy that my embroidery got better! The above pictures are the eyes I made for the purple owls. It looks pretty good right? After a few more projects, I might upload a video on how to do this.

Anyone interested?

I hung up the pictures from my shower, I think they look pretty nice on the wall instead of the bookshelf. It makes me so happy how color it is and how everything is mostly handmade. The hubs and I don’t want to buy too many electronic toys that have bright lights and sounds. But who knows, maybe that’ll change once we have him but we want to keep things simple. We’ve been asking friends to buy clothes or books instead.

I cleared a dresser and we’re planning on using it as a changing area for Boram. The hubs suggested I make another mobile to hang up so he can look up and be a little distracted while we change the diaper. He loves all my crocheted items and he prefers them over bought mobiles. Awww, isn’t he so sweet?

Boram loves music, he kicks so much when I play piano that I think he’s dancing in my belly. It makes me smile, I sing and play, enjoying my time with the baby in my stomach. Loving every single moment of this pregnancy and feeling so happy.

Whoa. That was a long entry. But yes, I’ve been a bit busy but doing well! I had a little moment where I really got homesick and missed my friends back in America. But I know they’re always here for me, even if it’s through email/text/FaceTime. 

I stumbled across a yarn shop while walking around with the hubs. I’ve been having so much trouble finding cotton yarn, suddenly I find it everywhere! These packs were on sale and super-duper cheap, around $4 each. Normally they are a lot more but I’m guessing that nobody wants these colors so they’re making room for new colors. I took them because they make cute baby clothes colors. I’ve been working on some crochet projects and guess what? Uh, I totally made it too small for my nieces. Sigh.

I love the look of knitted items for summer since they are thin compared to crochet. I started crocheting a dress for my nieces. I hope I can finish these on time, I feel rather stupid that I spent all that time on their clothes and then found it too small. I really don’t know baby sizes at all, I need a baby at all times, like I did with my niece Claire. It was so easy since she was always right next to me and I could always measure as I go. Since I’ve been in Shanghai, I have no models to compare sizes to and I am HORRIBLE at following patterns. I usually wing it.

Speaking of children. Emails are trickling in from friends who are pregnant with their second babies. I am so happy for them, being able to get pregnant is such a blessing. I wish I could also experience that joy, I wish I were pregnant. I’m eagerly awaiting my (late) period so that I can get the polyp removed so that I can have a child. I try to be as positive as I can but I have my breakdown days where I just can’t understand WHY my body is the way it is. But then the doctor did tell me that once the polyp is removed, I should be able to get pregnant. I semi fear, what if that doesn’t work too? What will I do then? 

I’ll stop freaking out for now. 

I’ve been walking around a lot with the hubs when he’s free, knitting like a mad woman and I’ve stopped checking my email. Mostly because there’s nothing there when I check it anyway. Also to get a break from constantly checking, though I’m on instagram a lot. Instagram is nice since it’s just pictures of my daily life and I like to look back on it. Even the ones from before we moved here and to see how my life was in NY.

I have two questions for you: Are you working on any crafting projects? Is anyone out there going through infertility?

Two very different questions but I’d like to hear about them, since that’s what is on my mind. 

I’ve been working on a project everyone! There are music things happening and now I’m on a mission for my “anniegurumi” projects. I’m designing a line of amigurumi after my Chinese lessons. I thought it would be fun to incorporate different feelings in Chinese as inspiration for my dolls. This little guy’s name is 困 (pinyin: kun) pronounced “coon” like cocoon. 困 is the character for “sleepy”. So I made him with his eyes closed and striped arms and legs. 

Since I’m making these dolls from scratch, I drew a picture of what I want him to look like. I wanted him to have a pear shaped body and the small part of the pear to be his face. I wanted a yawning face with his eyes closed. 

I made his legs in alternating colors!

I made the body and I was quite please with how it turned out. I wanted his legs and arms to be striped but opposite of each other. 

The hubs thought it would be cute to have really long arms and the stripes to be thinner. So that’s what I did! I also wanted the arms and leg long since I want a child to be able to hold him easily if they are walking around. Isn’t he adorable? I’m planning on making him a hat like my picture but I couldn’t wait to share him with you!

I love 困 and can’t wait to work on the other “feeling” anniegurumi. If you’re wondering why I call them anniegurumi, it’s because it’s a play on words. Annie making amigurumi (the Japanese art of crocheted dolls). Enjoy! 困 sends sweet dreams to all of you! ZZzzZZzzZZzzZzzZZzzz

• anniegurumi: Chinese Feeling Amigurumi Dolls: 爱 Ai, Love