You’ve arrived at the annual NatCroMo Blog Tour! What is that, you ask? It’s a virtual celebration of National Crochet Month with new blog content daily throughout March, including featured crochet designers, free patterns, discounts, giveaways, and more.
This year our theme is The Crochet Concert and we are celebrating music as creative inspiration. Each featured designer’s showcase will include an “Opening Act” (a quick or easy pattern); “Intermission” (the designer’s favorite crochet tools, yarn, or books); a “Showstopper” (an impressive or unique pattern); and “Designer’s Choice” (any pattern of the designer’s choice).
See all of this year’s tour here: NatCroMo Blog Tour 2021.
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About Carolyn Calderon
Our featured designer of the day is Carolyn Calderon of The Purple Poncho. The best place to find Carolyn’s patterns in her Ravelry portfiolo.
The Purple Poncho, Crochet by Carolyn, is a blog to bring you beautiful and unique designs in crochet, Tunisian crochet, and knit patterns. You’ll find easy and fun to make patterns, and video tutorials. There are a wide range of things to make such as accessories, home decor, garments, and holiday items.
Carolyn’s Special for Our Readers
Get 50% Carolyn’s Floaty Poncho pattern (in US terms), March 4-8, 2021, no coupon code needed, discount automatically applied at checkout: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/floaty-poncho.
Explore Blog Tour Featured Designers
Carolyn’s Creative Inspiration
Is music a source of inspiration for your crochet creativity? Or do you listen to music while you crochet? If so, tell us about it. If not, what is something else that helps fuel your creative inspiration?
I do love all kinds of music from classical to rock. I grew up listening to all sorts of music although I never learned to play an instrument. I’ve always wanted to learn piano or keyboard though. My inspiration for designs comes from several things, such as the yarn itself, type of yarn, color or colors in it, can all play a role in what I see it as. Nature is a big inspiration for me also, especially flowers, with their different shapes and colors.
Carolyn Calderon’s Designer Showcase
The Opening Act
Pattern name: Floaty Poncho
Get the pattern: https://www.thepurpleponcho.com/floaty-poncho-crochet-pattern/
About the pattern: The Floaty Poncho is a light and lacy crochet garment that can be worn year round, featuring an open stitch combination that forms the shape of circles. Made in cotton yarn that is perfect for layering, its great to throw over your casual lounge wear or dress it up for an elegant evening. Pattern includes a photo tutorial, chart, and schematic.
The Showstopper
Pattern name: Flower Pop Granny Square Blanket
Get the pattern: https://www.thepurpleponcho.com/flower-pop-granny-square-blanket/
About the pattern: The Flower Pop Square Blanket is very versatile and full of popcorn stitches. These six-inch squares are fun and fast to make and are a great way to use up leftover yarn. Mix and match your squares or plan them all out with coordinated colors. The front and the back look completely different and will really surprise you. Pattern includes a video tutorial, step-by-step, along with the join-as-you-go method.
Designer’s Choice
Pattern name: Tunisian Simple Scarf
Get the pattern: https://www.thepurpleponcho.com/tunisian-simple-scarf-free-crochet-pattern/
About the pattern: The Tunisian Simple Scarf is a fun pattern to make.This scarf is a great project to get the feel of this technique by practicing the repetitiveness of the stitch. Pattern is free and includes a video tutorial.
Tunisian Crochet
If you’re new to Tunisian crochet or need a refresher, Carolyn has the Top 10 Easy Video Tutorials on Tunisian crochet. These are a great way to learn, and there are patterns to get you started for all ten.
Follow Carolyn Online
Here’s where you can connect with Carolyn online to be sure you don’t miss any of her new designs!
- Website: thepurpleponcho.com
- Blog: thepurpleponcho.com/blog
- Instagram: @thepurpleponcho
- Facebook: facebook.com/thepurpleponcho
- YouTube: youtube.com/c/ThePurplePoncho
- Pinterest: pinterest.com/thepurpleponcho
- Ravelry: ravelry.com/designers/carolyn-calderon
- Newsletter: Subscribe to The Purple Poncho free newsletter
Explore Blog Tour Featured Designers
Carolyn
Great patterns especially liked the poncho and what a wonderful write up 👍😊
Thank you, Debb! <3
enjoyed reading and looking at the patterns