Welcome to our blog tour! Here at Crochetville, we celebrate National Crochet Month with our NatCroMo Blog Tour. This year, we’re interviewing crochet designers, teachers, and hobbyists throughout March and our theme is crochet memories. You can browse all of this year’s blog tour content on our page NatCroMo Blog Tour 2020.
About Carolyn Calderon
Please allow me to introduce our featured designer of the day, Carolyn Calderon of The Purple Poncho. Carolyn enjoys designing accessories, garments, home decor, jewelry, and holiday items in crochet and Tunisian crochet. You can find her patterns online on Ravelry (Carolyn Calderon) and her web site The Purple Poncho. Today Carolyn will share some of her crochet memories with us and we’ll showcase three of her crochet designs.
Carolyn’s Special for Our Readers
As a special treat for the NatCroMo Blog Tour, Carolyn is offering – on March 1st only – a free PDF pattern of the Zen Garden Shawl on her website here: https://www.thepurpleponcho.com/zen-garden-shawl/.
To download the free PDF (March 1st only!), regularly $4.00 on Ravelry, visit Carolyn’s Zen Garden Shawl page here, scroll down until you see an image of a present with a long green bow, and click that image to to download. As a thank you for the freebie please consider signing up for The Purple Poncho newsletter. And if you’re a Ravelry member, you could save the Zen Garden Shawl on Ravelry to your favorites or add it to your queue. Thank you for supporting our designers!
Carolyn’s Crochet Memories
Would you share with us one of your earliest memories of crochet?
One of my first jobs was making crochet bikini tops for a local bathing suit shop. I rode my bike up to the shop, picked up the orders and thread, then rode home and crocheted like mad. I was paid $5.00 for each top, I was only a teenager and it was great money for me at the time (they were small tops, and I crocheted fast). Then I rode back up after a few days, turned them in, and picked up the next orders. The tops were usually white with two stripes in bright colors. Funny how things circle around again in life, now I’m crocheting as my job again!
Would you share with us one of your memories of becoming a crochet designer?
I was introduced to crochet by my Grandma Mary when I was very young. She made me a purple poncho and I’ve been “hooked” ever since! I have pictures of us on Christmas Eve when she gave one to me and one to my sister. A few years later, my grandparents announced they were moving to Hawaii. I studied my purple poncho, bought some yarn, and made her a poncho as a going away gift. Looking back, that would’ve been my first design! The Purple Poncho is the inspiration of why I learned to crochet and became the name of my blog. (Link: Read more about this story on Carolyn’s blog!)
Would you share with us one of your most memorable experiences as a crochet designer?
One of my most memorable experiences as a crochet designer was having my design, the Floaty Poncho, on the cover of Simply Crochet magazine! I had no idea until I saw the pictures and It took some time for it to sink in, such an honor! The feeling I got when I went to my local stores and saw my design there on the rack was such a blast and an indescribable feeling. It’s definitely the proudest moment for me in my career.
Showcase: Crochet Designs by Carolyn Calderon
Pineapple Poncho
Get the pattern: Pineapple Poncho (on The Purple Poncho website)
About the pattern: The Pineapple Poncho is a light and lacy garment that can be worn year round, featuring a lacy stitch combination with pineapples! Looks great with your casual sweats and tank top or over a nice dress for an elegant look too, it’s very versatile. The color possibilities are endless. Make one for yourself today.
Seaglass Tank Top
Get the pattern: Seaglass Tank Top (on the Purple Poncho website)
About the pattern: The Seaglass Tank Top is a pretty top to wear alone or layered under your favorite jacket, it can be worn year round. Easy to customize the length and there are no visible seams, which I love. It’s made bottom up in a continuous, easy pattern repeat.
Thermal Twist Headband
Get the pattern at: Thermal Twist Headband (on The Purple Poncho web site)
About the pattern: The Thermal Twist Headband is a free crochet pattern that will keep your ears extra warm. This stitch is double the thickness of a regular single crochet stitch, but is still stretchy without any holes. There is a crochet video to show you this easy stitch, a one row repeat, and another video on how to sew the seam into a twist.
Follow Carolyn Online
Here’s where you can connect with Carolyn online to be sure you don’t miss any of her new designs!
- Web Site / Blog: The Purple Poncho
- Ravelry: Designer Carolyn Calderon
- Pinterest: thepurpleponcho
- Facebook: thepurpleponcho
- Instagram: @thepurpleponcho
- YouTube: ThePurplePoncho
- Newsletter: Subscribe to The Purple Poncho free newsletter
Free Pattern/Video Series: Tunisian Crochet Spa Cloths
Check out my new series of free Tunisian crochet Spa Cloths, with video tutorials. For those who are new to Tunisian crochet this is a great way to learn while making a pretty set.
See my YouTube channel playlist on Tunisian Stitches for continuous videos to learn several stitches. Keep in touch by signing up for my newsletter, the best way to learn of new free patterns, videos, events, giveaways, and crochet-alongs on The Purple Poncho blog.
Love the story of ‘The Purple Poncho’! Thank you for sharing. Your designs are beautiful.
I love her designs! The Zen Shawl and the Pineapple Poncho are now on my ‘to do’ list! I can’t wait to try these out!