Whether you’re a seasoned writer/designer or putting fingers to keyboard for the first time, we absolutely know you can write for PURL! We want real knitters, authentic voices, strong narratives, great stories, practical advice, and passionate words.
Issue theme and content
Each issue has a theme and everything in the issue relates to that theme. The mood board will explain the theme, give you some ideas of what we’re looking for, show you the color palette, and tell you the proposal due date and when you’ll hear a yes or no.
PURL‘s focus is on articles that explore the hows and whys, the what ifs, and practical experiments. Each issue will also include 4-5 patterns, and each pattern will tie in to at least one article in the issue. So while we definitely want to hear your pattern design pitches, you should consider what elements within the design might fit with the theme and an article idea that could go along with it. (We’ll help out with this, but if you have ideas, share them in your proposal.)
Prior writing experience not necessary
Feel like you’re not the best writer in the world? We don’t care! It’s easy to help with writing, but it’s not easy to find somebody who knows what you know. We want your voice, your story, your knitting. We want you. That’s right, our goal is to get as many voices in this magazine as possible.
Feel like you don’t know enough about a particular topic? We still want you. While it’s true that some dense and heavy topics might require lots of knowledge and years of experience, we also have experimentation articles, learn as you go write-ups, knitter profiles, guild pieces, tip jar tips, etc. There is something for each and every knitter (to both read and write!).
Won’t you write for us?
We promise we’ll do everything we can to make it an easy and gratifying experience. Plus, it pays, and because we value the creative process, we only borrow the rights to your work. Twelve months after publication, the work reverts back to you and you’re free to do whatever you like with it.
Contributor list
Wanna be notified each time we put out a new call for submissions to PURL? Or when we are searching for a writer for a specific article? Sign up for our contributor list!
Current mood board
Autumn 2027 – Finishing
We want to explore all the elements involved in finishing a project, from binding off and weaving in ends to blocking to adding additional elements to making changes after an item has been finished.
How do you decide on an appropriate bind off for a project or to achieve a particular look? For that matter, what tips do you have for making your bind off look polished and neat (such as getting rid of that larger loop at the end)? How do you weave in your ends and how does the fiber content affect the method you use? Does it matter how you weave in your ends when doing colorwork? What about if the fabric is reversible?
Let’s talk about blocking. What exactly does “blocking” mean, and when, how, and why should you do it? Tell us about the tools you use for blocking and how you block different items, especially more dimensional items such as a hat or cowl. Does it matter if you weave in your ends before or after blocking? What kind of soap/wash do you use when blocking? How do you handle color bleeding and setting while washing a project?
What about embellishments and elements you can add to finish off your project? We’d love to hear about adding pockets or linings. What do you have to tell us about buttons, such as the shapes and types, how to attach them, and how to create buttonholes? What about adding reinforcement ribbon, such as behind a button band? Or adding a zipper? Or fun bits like tassels, pompoms, or fringe? How about felting a project on purpose?
Along with articles, we want a small handful of amazing projects to highlight the theme and the articles, such as a cardigan with a reinforced button band or a garment with an added pocket. How about a project that includes a zipper or one that adds a lining? Maybe something with a special bind off or with tassels or fringe? We can’t wait to see your ideas!
Article and project proposals due by July 1, 2026.
You’ll hear back from us in August 2026.
Final articles, samples, and projects due by January 15, 2027.
Issue ships: August 2027
Submit your proposal
Fill out the form below with your proposal. Please submit one form per idea rather than multiple ideas in one form. If you are submitting a design proposal, please upload sketches using the link on the form.
Previous mood boards
Summer 2027: Seam(less)
Spring 2027: Ribbing
Winter 2026: Hands
Autumn 2026: Cast On
