Zhang Lijuan displays some of her DIY knitting works. [Photo/China Daily]

She has dolls of a rabbit, pig, snail, owl, octopus and a spider. Recently, she wanted dolls of some ocean creatures.

My family is fascinated with my work, and they think it is a fresh idea. Instead of just following instructional videos step by step, I can now incorporate my own ideas into my handiwork. For example, if I make a rabbit doll, I can also knit a bag and hat for it to make it pretty.

When my friends saw the animal finger puppets I made, they asked me to make some for them.

My daughter likes the little toys. When I am knitting, she will play around me and will sometimes take a look at my progress, while looking forward to playing with it. This reminds me of my own childhood memories. "Mommy, look at my new doll!" yelled my daughter when she was given a toy I had just finished making. She would happily hold it and kiss it with joy.

I quit my job when I was six months pregnant. My daughter will be 3 years old soon and I don't work because I want to spend more time with her doing handiwork together.

Every day, I will do some simple handicrafts with my daughter, like paper-cutting and drawing. I hope she can develop a hobby in her childhood and enjoy handiwork.

Zhang Yi spoke to Zhang Lijuan.