Skip to main content

Lady Wynwood #7 early release Kickstarter

I worked on my first Kickstarter and it got approved! It’s for the Special Edition Hardcover of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 1: Archer and the release of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 7: Spinster. I contacted my graphic designer about the Special Edition Hardcover of vol. 1: Archer—it’s going to be SO beautiful! The Kickstarter focuses on the Special Edition Hardcover, but it’ll also include vol. 7: Spinster so that it’ll sort of be like a launch day for vol. 7, too. A third special thing that’ll be in the Kickstarter is Special Edition Paperbacks of all the books in the series. They won’t be available in stores, just in the Kickstarter (and later, from my website, and also in my Patreon book box tiers if I decide to do them). The Kickstarter is not live yet, but you can follow it to be alerted when it has launched. (You may need to create a free Kickstarter account.) Follow Camy’s Kickstarter

Inexpensive Christmas gifting

Captain's Log, Stardate 12.05.2008

My friend Missy talked about Christmas Shopping in Hard Economic Times yesterday, which I thought was a fabulous blog post.

I wanted to blog about the same thing, but from a knitter’s perspective.

This year, my sister in law has suggested we have a family gift exchange rather than buying individual gifts for the adults. We each contribute a $10-20 gift to the pile, people pick in turn, and there is some stealing going on, too (I think some call it a Kris Kringle gift exchange).

Naturally, I’m thinking of knitting something. Some household item that anyone could use. The yarn cost would be minimal but the value is increased by the time put in.

I’m also knitting some items for family and friends from the copious yarn stash in my room, which Captain Caffeine turns a blind eye to.

(I’m trying desperately not to buy any more yarn for myself until I have reduced my stash to at least half of what it is now. A daunting task, but really, why do I need so much yarn???)

Anyway, I’ve used some really lovely yarn I bought on sale for some really lovely gifts. I had/have a lot of laceweight yarn, and lace is a pretty gift for girlfriends and female family members (I just have to make sure they’re not allergic to wool). I have made good use of my Victorian Lace Today pattern book! Also, laceweight yarn tends to be cheaper than heavier weight yarn like worsted, so it’s not only pretty, it’s economical to make lace gifts.

I’m also making several scarves because they’re easy and cheap and many people requested scarves as gifts.

Another cheap and easy (and fast) knit were a few hats I made for the girls in my church youth group. I made a variety of scarves, hats, and small bags for them from yarn I got on sale, and they’ll get to pick their gifts in a week or two.

I’m also knitting kitchen knits—potholders, hot plates. Also a few quick afghans with yarn doubled on large needles—an easy weekend knit, but really appreciated by friends and family. I’ve made a couple vests—easier than sweaters, faster, and cheaper, too.

Much of the yarn bought for those things were bought on sale, too!

Are any of you cringing at my cheap side? LOL

How about you? Any ideas for me?

Comments

Ausjenny said…
When i was in Canada I bought some of the dishcloths that are knitted or crocheted. they are wonderful dishclothes and I love them.
I dont think your cheap just practicle and you are giving of yourself.
also if its colder and people use hot water bottles you can knit covers for them. mum knits dolls blankets with animals on them.
Crystal Laine said…
My mother-in-law, despite being 90 and having macular degeneration, knits dish rags now in bright cotton yarn. They are my favorite thing in the kitchen! She knits them as she listens to stories on tape/cd or watching TV. She just hands them out to anyone requesting them--which we all have gotten hooked (ha) on them.

I am thinking I'm going to have to learn to make them as someday she won't be around to make them any more. They are the perfect size for my hand.
Camy Tang said…
Jenny, I never thought of hot water bottle covers--that's a great idea! I love hot water bottles!

Crystal, honey ... share the love ...

Camy
Reihaisha said…
Camy,

This is definitely a low dough (college days adjective) Christmas. My gift to my family this year is baked goods for the week I am with them. I am baking a test batch of chocolate rum balls this evening.

I love scarves/mitten sets. Since I do not wear hats I would love something that would just cover my ears (4-6 Inches long).

If you made these with the scarf, it could take care of some of the stockpiled yarn ;)
Camy Tang said…
Reihaisha, rum balls sound awesome! One year we gave homemade chocolate truffles--that was neat, but a lot of work. :P
Anonymous said…
Not cringing at your cheap side - cringing at your creativity and productivity!!! Have been working on a vest for my daughter's doll for months. (of course I am not a very experienced knitter) I can make a crochet necklace pretty fast, but would never be able to make all that without starting years in advance!!! (especially if I ever wanted to read anything) Where do you shop for the extra hours you get in your day? Do they have those at Target?
LaShaunda said…
Camy,

These are lovely ideas. I don't knit ( I want to learn) I crochet. One year I made everyone an afghan. They still use them and ask for more.

This year I'm doing ceramics. I even have the kids making gifts for their teachers. Saves me on running around trying to find a gift.
Camy Tang said…
Tricia, I ended up allotting a lot of time in Nov and Dec for holiday knitting. Inexpensive knitted gifts = time spent knitting them, so I made sure I scheduled the time.

LaShaunda, that's a great idea, to have your kids make gifts!

Camy

Popular Posts

I sold to Steeple Hill!

Captain's Log, Supplemental Remember that romantic suspense proposal I blogged about earlier? Well, it just sold to Steeple Hill’s Love Inspired Suspense line! I am so jazzed! I am beyond jazzed! The story’s working title is Sinister Spa The story's title is Deadly Intent and here’s a blurb (but it’s probably not what will appear on the back of the book): Massage therapist Naomi Grant could use a massage herself. With her father at home recovering from a stroke, Naomi is put in charge of the family’s elite day spa in Sonoma county. The new responsibilities sit awkwardly on her shoulders, and things only get worse when handsome Dr. Devon Knightley breezes into the spa, demanding to see one of the female clients. And the woman is found dead in Naomi’s massage room. Suddenly, Naomi is a suspect and her family’s spa is shut down. How could God let this awful thing happen? Devon only needed to see his ex-wife about a family necklace she still hadn’t returned, but when she dies and...

I’m a Book of the Year winner!

Captain's Log, Stardate 09.22.2008 I won first place in the Debut Author category of the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year awards! Here are all the winners! Debut Author Sushi for One? (Camy Tang) Zondervan, editor Sue Brower Bayou Justice (Robin Miller writing as Robin Caroll) In Between (Jenny B. Jones) Contemporary Novella Finally Home in Missouri Memories anthology (Deborah Raney) Barbour Publishing, editor Susan Downs Moonlight & Mistletoe in A Big Apple Christmas anthology (Carrie Turansky) Remaking of Moe McKenna in Race to the Altar anthology (Gloria Clover) Historical Novella Love Notes in Love Letters Anthology (Mary Davis) Barbour Publishing, editor Rebecca Germany Beyond the Memories in Missouri Memories anthology (DiAnn Mills) The Spinster & The Tycoon in The Spinster Brides of Cactus Corner anthology (Vickie McDonough) Lits Splitting Harriet (Tamara Leigh) Multnomah Books, editor Julee Schwarzb...

Toilet seat cover

Captain’s Log, Supplemental Update August 2008: I wrote up the pattern for this with "improvements"! Here's the link to my No Cold Bums toilet seat cover ! Okay, remember a few days ago I was complaining about the cold toilet seat in my bathroom? Well, I decided to knit a seat cover. Not a lid cover, but a seat cover. I went online and couldn’t find anything for the seat, just one pattern for the lid by Feminitz.com . However, I took her pattern for the inside edge of the lid cover and modified it to make a seat cover. Here it is! It’s really ugly stitch-wise because originally I made it too small and had to extend it a couple inches on each side. I figured I’d be the one staring at it, so who cared if the extension wasn’t perfectly invisible? I used acrylic yarn since, well, that’s what I had, and also because it’s easy to wash. I’ll probably have to wash this cover every week or so, but it’s easy to take off—I made ties which you can see near the back of the seat. And...

New book idea a la Captain Caffeine

Captain's Log, Stardate 04.14.2009 So my husband, Captain Caffeine, had lunch with a few friends a few days ago. And they asked about my writing, and if I’d been on Oprah yet. (Yeah, right) They then discussed NYT bestselling books, and why can’t Camy write a NYT bestseller. (Sure, let me just open a vein over a blank page and it’ll come right out.) So Captain Caffeine came home with ideas for my new NYT bestselling novel. First it starts with vampires, because Twilight is so hot. But not just any vampires. This one’s an Amish vampire. And he’s not just an Amish vampire, he’s a cop in disguise, infiltrating the Amish community to protect a witness. (Hmm, that storyline sounds familiar ...) But wait! There’s more! To add more conflict and stick with my brand of Asian fiction, we introduce the Tibetan monk! Who joins the Amish community to get away from the pressures of monkhood. But in reality, he’s protecting the Chinese princess on the run, trying to escape from her father’s Hong...

Tabi socks, part deux

Captain's Log, Stardate 07.25.2008 (If you're on Ravelry, friend me! I'm camytang.) I made tabi socks again! (At the bottom of the pattern is the calculation for the toe split if you're not using the same weight yarn that I did for this pattern (fingering). I also give an example from when I used worsted weight yarn with this pattern.) I used Opal yarn, Petticoat colorway. It’s a finer yarn than my last pair of tabi socks, so I altered the pattern a bit. Okay, so here’s my first foray into giving a knitting pattern. Camy’s top-down Tabi Socks I’m assuming you already know the basics of knitting socks. If you’re a beginner, here are some great tutorials: Socks 101 How to Knit Socks The Sock Knitter’s Companion A video of turning the heel Sock Knitting Tips Yarn: I have used both fingering weight and worsted weight yarn with this pattern. You just change the number of cast on stitches according to your gauge and the circumference of your ankle. Th...

I GOT A 3-BOOK CONTRACT WITH ZONDERVAN!

Captain's Log, Supplemental My agent called me today with the great news! Zondervan has contracted me for another three books! Right now, they’re all stand alone books—not a series. The first book is slated to release May 2010 and is tentatively titled The Year of the Dog (they’ll probably change it). It’s a women’s contemporary novel. Here’s the back cover blurb from my proposal: Tessa Ota, a professional dog trainer, is having a bad year. While moving ahead with renovation plans for her new dog kenneling and training facility, Tessa needs to move in with her disapproving mother and her antagonist sister. She convinces her ex-boyfriend to take her dog for a few months … but discovers that his brother is the irate engineer whose car she rammed a few weeks earlier. Charles Bretton has enough problems. His mama has just shown up on his doorstep all the way from Louisiana, and his brother has to move in with him after being kicked out of his apartment—with a dog in tow. And guess who...

Mon afghan

Captain's Log, Stardate 02.24.2009 I am extraordinarily proud of this. For Christmas, I wanted to knit something for my parents that would be really cool and personal, and sort of an heirloom. So I took the five family crests I had for my family (in Japanese, a family crest is called a “mon”) and graphed the designs on knitting graph paper so that I could knit intarsia panels of the mons. I knit 5 intarsia panels and 4 plain panels and then sewed them together to make an afghan. In Japan, family crests are carried by both male and female, so I used mons from both my parents' sides. Traditionally, mons are passed down from mother to daughter and from father to son, but there are sometimes cases of a son taking a mother’s mon or a husband taking his wife’s family’s mon and things like that. I know we have more than 5 family crests, but we’ve lost some of them. My mom tried to find them all several years ago, but could only find these five. The fans mon was actually...

Movie Quotes part deux

Captain's Log, Stardate 05.27.2009 I had so much fun with this before that I decided to do it again! You guys are just too good! RULES: 1. Pick 15 of your favorite movies. Or movies that you have seen 2. Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie. 3. Post them here for everyone to GUESS (please don't Google it or do a search on IMDB--what's the fun in that?). 4. When someone guesses correctly, put who guessed it and the movie. 1. I do anything and everything Mr. Stark requires. Including occasionally taking out the trash. Will that be all? Ironman kalea_kane 2. Cassie, his heart will stop at the sight of you, or he doesn't deserve to live. And, yes, I am aware of the contradiction embodied in that sentence. 3. The code is more what you'd call "guidelines" than actual rules. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl Ruth 4. I don't LIKE food. I LOVE it. If I don't love it, I don't SWALLOW. Ratatouille Danica/Dream and Charity Lane...

Got my books!

Captain's Log, Supplemental Okay, I'm still at the library and Captain Caffeine sent me these pics since I wasn't home when they arrived: MY AUTHOR COPIES ARRIVED! Wow, that's just so cool. And I'm so glad Captain Caffeine sent me pics!

Weddings and Wasabi available in both print and ebook

Captain's Log, Stardate 07.07.2011 I just found out (like a few days ago) that the ebook version of Weddings and Wasabi , is now available! This is the fourth book in my Sushi series . What's even better is that it's only $2.99! After finally graduating with a culinary degree, Jennifer Lim is pressured by her family to work at her control-freak aunty’s restaurant. But after a family dispute, Jenn is determined to no longer be a doormat and instead starts her own catering company. Her search for a wine merchant brings John into her life—a tall, dark, handsome biker in form-fitting black leather, who’s Hispanic to boot. It would be wonderfully wild to snag a man like that! Shy engineer Edward tentatively tries out his birthday present from his winery-owner uncle—a Harley-Davidson complete with the trimmings. Jennifer seems attracted to the rough, aggressive image, but it isn’t his real self. Is she latching onto him just to spite her horrified family? And if this spark...