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

My first hand-spun yarn!

Captain's Log, Stardate 01.22.2010

Since late December, I have been learning how to spin wool into yarn using a drop spindle. Yes! It’s true, I have gone totally Amish/old school.

(No offense to any Amish or old school people. I mean that in the nicest way.)

I don’t know why I suddenly decided to learn to spin. Or if I did know why, I’ve forgotten (I probably explained it to Captain Caffeine at some point, but now I don’t remember what excuse I gave to him).

Not having any yarn shops nearby that teach spinning, I bought a Cascade spindle online and some really soft, silky merino wool roving from Etsy.com. I read all kinds of online articles and watched youtube videos.

And I spun my first yarn! Here it is!





It’s a lace weight yarn (about 30 wraps per inch), since I like using finer gauge yarns over bulkier yarns. It’s rather uneven (although it’s not as easy to tell in the picture) and I didn’t ply it very well, but I made it all by myself!

Captain Caffeine does not appreciate the whole, “I made this all by myself from scratch” concept. He understands the “I made this by myself and saved myself some money” concept. Which I’m not sure is actually true in this case. Well, maybe a little, if I continue to use my drop spindle until it has worn down into a toothpick.

I also bought some more roving from Yarnmarket.com, made by Cherry Tree Hill, and some from Tempe Yarn and Fiber. I am currently working on the Cherry Tree Hill roving and am going to try a 3-ply next.

I also have been haunting Craigslist and found a listing for a secondhand spinning wheel! I picked it up yesterday! It was very inexpensive compared to a new wheel, which is perfect since I’m not sure how I’ll like spinning on a wheel. I haven’t really tried the wheel yet because I’ve been perfecting my drop spindle technique to get more consistent gauge singles.

So what do you think of my new hobby?

Comments

Geekwif said…
I looks fantastic! Like something you'd buy at the store! I've thought about learning how to spin, but haven't done it yet. Now you've got me thinking again. :)
Your yarn looks great! I really should pull out my drop spindle and work on my spinning again too...
Camy Tang said…
Thanks guys! Geekwif, it was really fun to learn how to spin with the drop spindle--the videos on youtube are pretty good. And it's really relaxing!

Shelley--you totally should!!! In fact, I think you should treat yourself to some really yummy fiber to get yourself in the groove again. ;)

Camy
misskallie2000 said…
Wow, This is a great hobby you have. I use to crochet but life got in the way and I so I quit 30 yrs ago. Sometimes I think I will start again but then don't. I have to many things I am doing now and just don't have time.

I am from Georgia
misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com
Camy Tang said…
I know, I wish I had more time too!
Camy
Very pretty, and you are right about it being a very soothing activity (probably most of the time unless something goes terribly wrong!) - brain studies show that repetitive activities really are great for brain rest, very calming.
Sheila Deeth said…
That looks so lovely! What a fun hobby.
Camy Tang said…
Carrie, I love when you chime in b/c your psychology background is way cool! I'm glad you said that! Although that only affirms that I need to buy more wool roving!!! LOL

Sheila--thanks so much!

Camy
If your hubby complains about how much all that stuff costs, just get a quote for the fee for therapy in your area ha! That is what I tell mine when he complains about the cost of my beads. At least you probably don't have yarn shows do you? Bead shows are budget killers!
Camy Tang said…
See Carrie, great minds think alike! LOLOLOL We do have a major yarn show here, Stitches West in the Santa Clara Convention Center every year. It's reeeeeeaally hard not to spend too much money when I go!
DaisyTea said…
Beautiful job, Camy! I'm proud of you for braving it and taking up something new! I myself have been thinking of taking up crochet because I came across a book on making cute little critters the size of hacky sack balls. And, well, when one sistah gets brave another sistah gets brave! :D Yay You! <3
Camy Tang said…
OMG those little critters sound so cute! You should totally do them!

Popular Posts

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...

Camille's Writing Progress

Join my newsletter to get regular updates in your inbox!

A List of my Free Blog Reads

Curious about what my writing is like? Here’s a list of all my free books and the free short stories, novellas, and novels that you can read here on my blog. I’ll update this post as I add more free reads. Christian Romantic Suspense: Necessary Proof (Sonoma series #4.1, novella) Click here to buy the FREE ebook on all retailers Alex Villa became a Christian in prison, and because of his efforts to help stop a gang producing meth in Sonoma, he has been set up for the death of a cop. Can computer expert Jane Lawton find the evidence that will prove his innocence before the gang eliminates them both? Fantasy short stories: Pixies in a Garden in Kyoto There were pixies in the garden. Since she was in Kyoto, she was certain they were not called pixies, but she didn't know what they would be called in Japanese, and they certainly looked like what she imagined pixies would look like. The King’s Daughter The trees in the King's garden were full of colored pixie lights. The...

Protection for Hire cover reveal!

Here’s the new cover for Protection for Hire ! I made the cover in Canva, and then my graphic designer rearranged the elements a bit and adjusted the filter so it would look more professional. What do you think of the new cover? The model actually looks a lot like my youngest niece! Since you voted for the Protection for Hire series as the contemporary books I’ll start posting on Patreon , chapters will start going up next week. I’m also going to try to annotate the chapters so you can read about Easter Eggs and behind-the-scenes tidbits about the book.

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

No Cold Bums toilet seat cover

Captain's Log, Stardate 08.22.2008 I actually wrote out my pattern! I was getting a lot of hits on my infamous toilet seat cover , and I wanted to make a new one with “improvements,” so I paid attention and wrote things down as I made the new one. This was originally based off the Potty Mouth toilet cover , but I altered it to fit over the seat instead of the lid. Yarn: any worsted weight yarn, about 120 yards (this is a really tight number, I used exactly 118 yards. My suggestion is to make sure you have about 130 yards.) I suggest using acrylic yarn because you’re going to be washing this often. Needle: I used US 8, but you can use whatever needle size is recommended by the yarn you’re using. Gauge: Not that important. Mine was 4 sts/1 inch in garter stitch. 6 buttons (I used some leftover shell buttons I had in my stash) tapestry needle Crochet hook (optional) Cover: Using a provisional cast on, cast on 12 stitches. Work in garter st until liner measures...

Kickstarter postponed (yes, again!) and book release news

My family was a bit stressed while I was visiting my parents (I promise, it wasn’t me!) and so I decided to postpone my Kickstarter. It has changed my book release schedule, and so I’ll be releasing Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 7: Spinster hopefully next month? It has also allowed me to figure out when book 8 will be released. Check out my (rather lengthy) explanation on my Patreon . (You’ll need to set up a free Patreon account if you don't have one.) Read when my books are coming out: https://www.patreon.com/posts/113452442/

Behind the Scenes: Original Cover

Prelude for a Lord (the extended version) releases on Amazon on December 2! You can buy it early at a discount from my website . (Want to join my Launch Team ?) The current cover is actually the second version of the cover for this book. Here’s what the original cover from my publisher, Zondervan, looked like. The original stock photo was of a blonde woman, and when I pointed out the error, the graphic designer at Zondervan did a nice job coloring her hair brown. For the new cover, I kept the orange and blue colors but chose a model in profile rather than with her entire face hidden. This new re-release is an extended version of the original book. Zondervan had a strict word count of 100,000 words, but my original manuscript was 120,000 words, so I had to cut 20,000 words. But when I got my rights back and started planning to re-release it, I realized I could release the original manuscript before it was cut. So the version coming out is the uncut, extended version. ...

December 9, 2024 Weekly Roundup on Camy’s Patreon

REMINDER (Tier 3 book boxes): Be sure to answer the question at the end of the update post: https://www.patreon.com/posts/117341237/ UPDATE: Upcoming posting schedule https://www.patreon.com/posts/117599910/ POLL: Vote on the Special Edition cover for Prelude for a Lord https://www.patreon.com/posts/117411742/ BONUS: (Tier 3: Miss Nell’s Assistant and higher) Read annotated versions of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 7: Spinster , Chapters 53, 54, and 55.  https://www.patreon.com/posts/early-access-98508510 New chapters this week: (Tier 3: Miss Nell’s Assistant and higher) Lady Wynwood’s Spies, Volume 7: Spinster, Chapters 54, 55, and epilogue (Yes! The book is done!) Access to older chapters has been opened up to other tiers. https://www.patreon.com/posts/early-access-98508510 Thanks again for being my subscribers! Camy