About PURL

PURL Magazine’s purpose is to serve as a kind of encyclopedia of knitting knowledge – a stamp of the current moment in knitting time, a record of the evolving line of knowledge stretching out behind us, and a curious look toward the future.

PURL aims to be comprehensive, diverse, and filled with knowledge and learning. PURL is not a magazine filled with knitting patterns – there are already so many places to find stunning projects created by wonderful designers to put on your needles. PURL focuses on the how and why, on expanding, experimenting, edifying. Of course, PURL does include a few patterns, but those will be there to support the articles that explore technique, yarn, stitches, and skills. 

We want PURL to be a primary source for knitting knowledge, techniques, experiments, and opinions and promise it will:

  • support, reflect, inspire, and respond to the worldwide knitting community
  • provide in-depth material for the intermediate to more advanced knitter
  • inspire new knitters
  • experiment with and question things we know and things we think we know
  • celebrate the diversity of knitting and knitters
  • give a voice to knitters everywhere
  • celebrate and elevate knitters across the entire spectrum of color, ability, gender, and queerness
  • embrace and present the function and the art
  • record the rich history, report on the vibrant present, and inspire the hopeful future of knitting by creating a themed, archive-worthy magazine
  • support indie businesses and craftspeople via affordable advertising, fair compensation, and return of intellectual property

What sets PURL apart

Using the model we’ve built for PLY and WEFT, in PURL we really dig into knitting.

  • We look at how and why, best choices, and great practices.
  • We collect and reflect technical, intuitive, historical, and theoretical knowledge from knitters the world over with the intent to inform, reflect, and inspire.
  • Issues are themed so we can dig deep into a topic, get to its core, explore different viewpoints and issues, experiment, and learn all we can about it.
  • In the interest of diversity and a never-ending quest for knowledge, we go out of our way to find new and interesting authors, thrilling topics, historic and important things, and delve into ideas we  take for granted. How it works, why it works, where it comes from, who’s doing it: these are the things we’re interested in – the things we’ll ask writers to explore.
  • We support our amazing and diverse knitting community (knitters, fiber producers, indie fiber artists, writers, designers, and others who love knitting as much as we do), gather and share the information we all need and want, and also reflect the community in a real way.
  • On the pages of PURL, you can expect to see knitters you easily recognize, names you might have heard before, and altogether new voices.
  • You can add your own voice to our efforts – everyone has something to say, and we want a range of diverse knitters’ voices in our magazine!
  • Each issue is printed on quality paper with a printable spine so that, well into the future, you’ll be able to easily access the information within.

Knitting is an ongoing journey; we aren’t looking for an ultimate answer. In knitting, there’s often no such thing. To that end, you’ll find PURL Magazine exploring various approaches to the same concept, technique, or project and encouraging knitters everywhere to find themselves in their knitting. It will not be uncommon to find divergent opinions in a single issue of PURL, because that’s how the (knitting) world really is. We’ll do our best to carefully present the available facts and opinions so you can find among them the truth that works for your own knitting hands.

Meet the PURL team

Jacey Boggs – director and publisher

Jacey has spent the past 20+ years falling in love with fiber. She’s written books and articles, made videos and tutorials, and taught workshops and classes all over the world. But she’s most proud of PLY, which was started on a whim and full lack of knowledge about what she was getting into. She went on to start the PLY Spinners Guild, WEFT, and PURL. She’s in love with this community – don’t get too close to her, she might hug you.

Karen Robinson – editor in chief

Karen has been knitting and spinning for over 20 years. She started at PLY as the copy editor and is now editor in chief. Along with Jacey, she started PURL. Being part of creating this magazine is one of her absolutely favorite things. When she’s not crafting, you can find her with a book in her hands – or listening to an audiobook while crafting (the best of both worlds!).

Tian Connaughton – developmental editor

Tian is multifaceted expert in knit and crochet design, a skilled technical editor, and an accomplished author. Tian has built a thriving business centered around creativity, inclusivity, and empowerment. Dedicated to helping women and non-binary people, especially those of color, Tian’s mission is to enable them to create lives they love. Tian’s motto is A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats! That is evident in how she shows up and in all she does. 

Laura Linneman – developmental editor

Obsessed with knitting and spinning, Laura has taught at retreats across the country. If you ask her what her favorite spin to knit project is she will loudly say, “Don’t make me choose. I love them all,” but will quietly whisper, “socks.” She cohosts the Knitgirllls podcast and the Super Summer Knitogether crafting retreat. She currently resides in Mississippi with way too many spinning wheels and a Great Pyrenees named Purl.

Bernadette Emerson – photography director

Bernadette is a maker, editor, musician, and mother. Photography is her passion and besides taking big, beautiful photos for PURL, PLY, and WEFT Magazines, she also take big beautiful photos of tiny tiny babies. She‘s also Jacey’s best friend.

Elizabeth Fitzpatrick – creative director

A long-time art director, designer, illustrator, fine artist, nascent ukulele player, married to a prolific spinner and fiber artist, Elizabeth is delighted to be directing her abilities toward the task of making PURL Magazine (as well as PLY and WEFT) fabulous.

Arlo Boggs – illustrator

Arlo Boggs has been drawing since they could hold a crayon. They want to live with their mom forever (or she wants them to live with her forever, it‘s hard to tell). They want to be a tattoo artist and they’re not nearly as shady as they look.

Vanessa Dinh – creative assistant

Vanessa is a graphic designer and multidisciplinary artist who loves to craft and get her hands dirty from clay to crochet. She never had just one hobby and loves to learn new skills and experiment with different mediums. When she isn’t doing design work, she is normally chipping away at her many projects in progress.

Sarah Ross Kelliher – editorial assistant; customer service; wholesale

Sarah is a former librarian who loves working with her hands. She enjoys knitting, crocheting, spinning, and weaving. She‘s passionate about spreading the love of fiber and holds spinning demonstrations for whoever will listen. She’s excited to help share that love with the readers of PURL!

Jeannie Sanke – advertising coordinator

Jeannie is thrilled to be part of PURL (and PLY and WEFT) and loves working with fiber arts businesses to help share their products with the fiber arts community.

Rachael Prest – pattern tech editor; proofreader

Rachael spent three years working at The Knitter and Simply Knitting as technical editor. She’s a certified expert at falling down yarny rabbit holes, and is now adding embroidery to her other hobbies – spinning, knitting, crochet and weaving. She’s also a long-time indie dyer and is the face behind Cat & Sparrow UK, a small-batch hand-dyed yarn and fiber company. She lives in Bristol, UK, with her two kids, her cat, her husband, a collection of spindles and wheels, and an office full of wool.

Sara Israel – copy editor

Sara is a word nerd who loves helping craft writers share their expertise. Crafting and reading have been her favorite activities since childhood, and editing craft books and magazines is her grown-up excuse for doing those things every day. Sara enjoys knitting, sewing, quilting, bookbinding, and stamp carving, and she can’t wait to add spinning and weaving to the list.