What is the NatCroMo Blog Tour?
The NatCroMo Blog Tour is our way of celebrating National Crochet Month. Via our Crochetville blog, we take you on a virtual tour with crochet designers and hobbyists, yarn companies, local yarn shops, giveaways, freebies, and coupons. Each day of March we publish new blog posts for each “stop” on the tour. Every year the tour has a different theme (like traveling, three truths and a lie, and crochet memories). Featured crochet designers, teachers, and hobbyists answer interveiw questions based around the theme and we showcase their crochet designs and projects.
We started the blog tour in 2013, not only to have a special activity for NatCroMo, but also as part of our desire to promote indie crochet designers. Each year the blog tour is a little different, and two new additions in 2020 are our featured crochet teachers and hobbyists. Although some designers are also teachers, we’re asking ourselves why we didn’t specifically feature teachers before! And hobbyists are such an important part of the crochet world; we’re thrilled for each one who has taken the plunge into the blog tour!
The NatCroMo Blog Tour has been on hiatus for two years, so our return tour this year is scaled back. See our other FAQ on this page for more details.
How can I be featured on the NatCroMo Blog Tour?
Sign-ups are currently open for March 2020. If you are a crochet designer, crochet teacher, or crochet hobbyist and want to be featured on the blog tour, go to our sign-up calendar to reserve your spot. Then fill out either the Designer Questionnaire, Teacher Questionnaire, or the Hobbyist Questionnaire at least 4 days prior to your reserved day. (For those of you signing up for the for any of the first few days of the blog tour, we understand you may need more time since we are opening sign-ups later than planned. Go ahead and sign up and just get in touch with us so we can work within your schedule.) If you have any questions, contact us.
What’s the deal with your trademark policy?
Designers and teachers on the blog tour must agree to a statement (it’s part of the questionnaire) that they do not infringe on trademarks with patterns they sell or offer for free. We know trademark is a contentious issue amongst the crochet community.
Some designers may seem to be getting away with selling or giving away patterns of trademarked characters. However, you only have to look at cases where the long arm of Disney has caught and stopped small-time crocheters from doing this to see that “getting away with it” is simply a matter of not yet having been discovered by a company that has enough resources to pursue you.
We’re not dictating what patterns you create, sell, or give away. But if you want to be a featured designer or teacher on the blog tour, you can’t infringe on trademarks.
Will you have a daily giveaway on the blog tour in 2020?
After a two-year hiatus from the blog tour, we are coming back with a scaled-back version of the blog tour for 2020 and won’t be having a daily giveaway.
However, our featured designers often do their own giveaways. Follow along with the blog tour so you won’t miss out because you never know what our designers will offer!
Will you feature yarn companies and local yarn shops on the blog tour in 2020?
After a two-year hiatus from the blog tour, we are coming back with a scaled-back version of the blog tour for 2020 and won’t be featuring yarn companies or local yarn shops. But keep your eye out for next year when we intend to crank things up a few notches!