Busier than Usual but Still Crocheting...

It's been many months since I last posted here! This year has been busier than usual. Hubby and I got a new apartment, among other things, did some renovations, getting repairs done and are going to move home.

Still crocheting whenever and wherever I can....
Here on the ferry during a company trip.

I'm still crocheting. Whenever I can. If I don't, I'd just lose it and go off the rails. I just haven't made as many crochet projects over 2024 and 2025 (thus far) as I would've liked. And I haven't posted about them here much either. I've not been in a great mental headspace in recent months.

Up until recently I've been dealing with the home renovation, getting new furniture... and let's just say that making reno decisions, logistics and decluttering are not my forte. It's been overwhelming being outside my normal routines and comfort zone for the past few months. Our ID and contractor did a great job, and we experienced some hiccups but minor ones. Getting touch-ups done, repairing stuff that need repairing. A few fixtures that came with the apartment started malfunctioning, so we're getting them repaired. Also decluttering, packing our things, trying to get over some reno regrets I have and mistakes I made, trying to make some progress in the house moving process.

A few other irritants that caused friction along the way... And as if all that wasn't enough, the main pipe in the common bathroom of my in-laws' house (where we're still currently living in) got totally clogged last weekend, and the bathroom flooded. It was a real s**t show. At a point, I was arm-deep in sewage, literally. It took almost 4 days to sort out the sh— I mean, mess.

Through it all, I found comfort in crocheting and journaling in my craft journal. I keep a craft journal in which I wrote notes and thoughts on craft projects. I found great comfort doodling and journaling in it. It's more like a conceptualisation journal, with working notes, fabric or yarn samples and doodled ideas. Though I do record key information like hook size, yarn type (brand and colour codes), pattern notes and such. I probably ought to include printed photographs of the finished projects in it as well.

Of the few crochet projects I've been working on, the most meaningful personal project (thus far) was inspired by some Fuzhou dishes that I grew up eating during CNY from childhood, e.g. hóng zāo chicken, Fuzhou fish balls and rouyan, and some that I learnt about while doing some casual research on my paternal family's Fuzhou roots. These will be explored in a separate post, at another time. posted here.

Doodling in my craft journal helps keep me sane

The most fun projects I recently completed would be the prototype fat-lipped monster card sleeve (IG reel), the apple beret hat (IG reel) and the amigurumi doll for my niece Claire (IG reel). The amigurumi doll is based on the Doll Fanny Amigurumi pattern by Funny Hook Design (with modifications). I got it in combination with her crochet Stitch mascot costume pattern but have yet to attempt the Stitch costume. And I adore Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon, so obviously I got the black dragon amigurumi (Toothless!) and mascot costume patterns as well!

Making the amigurumi doll was fun but also a little stressful as I was tight on time. I ended up gifting it to Claire a week after her birthday. But Claire was such a sweetheart; she waited patiently without question and didn't whine or chase me for it. When she received it, she was delighted and named the doll Maria. That reaction alone was worth all the blood, sweat and tears.

Amigurumi doll with ballerina dress for my niece for her 6th birthday (April 2025) (on IG)

I've also worked on some kueh and wagashi amigurumi patterns — pineapple nastar rolls, kueh pink fairy amigurumi, kueh tako, kueh sago Melaka, kueh lopes, dorayaki, a 2nd amigurumi version of the shara blossom nerikiri (first version posted here), ohagi for the autumn equinox Ohigan, Siberia cake, soba bolo cookies, and so on... But I've yet to fine-tune and/or write about them at length. In fact, I have a backlog for these!

Amigurumi pineapple tart rolls (aka nastar rolls) for this year's CNY and Hari Raya which, oops, I forgot to post.

Amigurumi kueh pink fairy and its inspiration, red bean potong ice cream (April 2025) (on IG Story: Kueh)

Amigurumi dorayaki, conceived in May 2023, mostly done in 2024, but a little fine-tuning in 2025...

And during our Japan trip in May, I popped by the recently renovated Okadaya Shinjuku and picked up some new sewing and crochet supplies, including a new crochet hook carry case and an Olympus crochet kit!

The newly renovated Okadaya Shinjuku, looking all bright, clean and neat. It's great but I do kind of miss the vibes of the old one too.

And then the current crochet project that I'm still working on — a wrap/shawl for somebody (shall name no names), based on the Netherfield wrap scarf pattern by All About Ami (with minor adjustments). This crochet wrap is my next largest crochet project following the crochet ripple stitch baby blanket for my god-daughter Isabelle (posted here). I originally completed the Netherfield wrap on or around 4th November last year (IG reel) BUT this year, I decided to extend it because it was a little too short for its intended recipient! So it went from scarf to shawl.

When I was working on the All About Ami Netherfield wrap in 2024. At the hair dresser's...

It was my first time working with YarnArt Flowers, a #1 fingering/sock weight yarn that I bought from Memo's Art House, another go-to local yarn shop where I buy milk cotton yarns from. The colourway I chose brings to mind black sesame with raspberry or with strawberry, so I can't help but think of ice cream when I work on it! So, to make it larger, I got another YarnArt Flowers cake in the same colourway and restarted the wrap in late April. It's almost done but I've to prioritise our house repairs and moving!

It wasn't all bad. We've had some good experiences between it all. A sencha experience in Shizuoka. A fine day among roses in full bloom in Hamamatsu. A few pottery exhibitions of our favourite artists. A rather fun company trip to Bintan. Fell in love with an 18th century Tibetan antique cabinet and its stories. Memorable meals with good friends over delicious food at Ben Fatto, Ichigo Ichie's "JapIndian" collaboration, and a wonderful tenpura lunch at Tenshima. Two beautiful June weddings, the international/multicultural (Singaporean Indian x Scottish x Filipino) wedding of my good friend, the other of close family in which my niece was a precocious excited flower girl.

These wonderful moments kept me sane too. Though it's also clear what's been taking up the most headspace these past few months... (ᵕ,—ᴗ—,)

Well. Once more unto the breach, dear friends!