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, passionate words.
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!).
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.
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.
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Spring 2027 – Ribbing
The Spring issue of PURL is all about ribbing, and we want your help exploring every aspect of ribs. We all know that ribbing is often used due to its stretch, but let’s dig deeper into that: What impacts the elasticity of ribbing? Is 1×1 ribbing really the stretchiest? Which is the least elastic? How much does fiber content or yarn structure impact ribbing? Is 1×1 twisted rib really less elastic than 1×1 rib? What about half-twisted? And what if you don’t want any pull-in at all?
Can you tell us about ribbing’s visual impact and placement in a project? In which circumstances would we want to use a specific kind of ribbing? Which ribbing works best as a neckline and why? What does changing the ribbing on a cuff or hem do to the look of a sweater? How much ribbing does a sock cuff need?
Which rib is the bulkiest and lowest profile? How do you keep your ribbing from flipping up? Is there a magic number of inches, a ratio, or technique that helps? Is it better to pick up stitches in knit or rib for an edging?
We can’t forget about starting and finishing ribbing. Does your cast on impact your ribbing? What bind offs work well for ribbing? What about ribbing and folded hems? Often knitters use smaller needles for ribbing; is this important and if so, how much smaller? Is there a way to calculate how much ribbing will pull in?
There are so many fancy rib stitches; are they just pretty or do they have functional uses? What are they and when might we use them? Tell us about ribbing and color and ribbing as an all-over texture.
And of course we want to hear about your project ideas that feature ribbing, whether as a practical feature or as the star of the show.
Article and project proposals due by January 1, 2026.
You’ll hear back from us in February 2026.
Final articles, samples, and projects due by July 15, 2026.
Issue ships: February 2027