Pattern Submission Guidelines
Article Submission Guidelines
Popknits Pattern Submission Guidelines
Submissions Are Closed for the Immediate Future
Popknits will not be publishing in 2010. Please check back with us in Spring 2011!
Popknits specializes in vintage knitting made modern. Patterns should entice knitters to create something that they’ll wear often or will feel confident gifting to someone else. Timeless designs and vintage-inspired patterns are what we’re looking for. As such, preference is given to well-written patterns that include accurate fit measurements and adequate descriptions of how the item is vintage-inspired.
Knitting presents many fascinating opportunities for designers and knitters alike, and Popknits intends to explore them all. If you have a pattern you think is Popknits material, we should see it!
Below, you’ll find our guidelines for submitting a pattern for publication. Once you have familiarized yourself with our process, please submit your idea to us to get started.
Types and Skill-Levels of Popknits Patterns
At Popknits, we utilize two descriptors to classify patterns: type and skill-level.
The pattern types are as follows:
- pullover sweaters
- cardigans
- vests
- tanks/shells/camisoles
- scarves/shawls/wraps/ponchos
- child/baby
- bottoms
- socks
- hats
- gloves/mittens
- accessories
- menswear
- household items
- novelties
The pattern skill-level indicates the difficulty of the pattern:
- beginner – uses basic knitting techniques like knitting, purling, increasing, decreasing, and knitting in the round.
- intermediate – uses more skilled knitting techniques like lace knitting (yarn overs, multiple stitch increases and decreases, multiple stitch counts), cabling, picking up stitches, and seaming.
- advanced – uses knitting techniques that are unusual or new like using a crochet hook to pick up and drop stitches, grafting different stitch patterns together, etc.
When submitting your pattern to Popknits, choose at least one of each type and skill-level for your design. Need help choosing the right one? Feel free to ask!
Sizing and Measurements
All Popknits patterns should be designed to fit an array of sizes from XS to XL if at all possible. You should feel free to include larger or smaller sizes. We will consider all patterns, regardless of their size range. Patterns, especially sweaters, cardigans, and other items worn on the upper body, should contain detailed measurements of their fit outlined by the craft yarn council of america.
Popknits also requires that you provide two measurement standards: fit and actual. If your garment “fits” a 32” bust but the “actual” measurement is 30” wide, you are accounting for a negative ease of 2”. This must be stated as follows (example):
XS (S, M, L, XL);
bust size fits 28 (32, 36, 38, 42);
actual measurements 26 (30, 34, 36, 40).
Please provide measurements in both standard and metric (if at all possible.) Gauge should be to 4” (10cm) square over whatever stitch pattern your design uses most.
Yarn and Needles
Yarn is the most important part of the pattern! Please provide yarn requirements for the completion of your design, including the name and brand of the yarn, color, number of balls/skeins used per size, and yardage per ball. As many knitters understand, knitting an item in the pattern’s suggested yarn isn’t always possible due to discontinuation of the brand, lack of selection in yarn stores, budget, or the desire to utilize another yarn. We appreciate your suggestions for other yarns that can be substituted in your pattern, particularly if the yarn you used is expensive or difficult to obtain.
Needle type and size should be listed in both US and metric measurements. Be sure to provide our knitters with the best possible recommendation for the project. For example, if your pattern is a large wrap, you may want to suggest using a circular needle and not straight needles due to the large number of cast-on stitches.
If your pattern introduces new or unusual techniques, like knitting a sock with the magic loop method instead of dpns, please include basic instructions (or a link to a favorite tutorial) and needle recommendations. You may even feel free to submit a video (through YouTube or Vimeo) explaining your technique (see the video area of Popknits FAQ for more information.) We encourage you to be different! Teach our knitters a new style or technique.
Pattern Notation
Popknits uses as its standard the abbreviations at knittinghelp.com. If your pattern includes an abbreviation not listed on knittinghelp, please provide a short and clear explanation or tutorial (written, photographed, or video).
All patterns should include a basic schematic of the finished item as well as schematics of individual pieces, should the pattern contain multiple sections that need to be seamed together. If your pattern requires blocking, please indicate measurements after blocking.
(chart example)
If your pattern has an intricate stitch pattern (like lace or cables), please include a chart as a high quality jpg along with the required written instructions. Your JPG submission should be at least 1000 pixels wide for enlargement purposes. Charts for large projects like sweaters are also desirable, but not required. Looking for chart making software? Try Knit Visualizer 2.0 from Knit Foundry. If you are looking for something free, try downloading the Knitting Font and using Microsoft Excel or try this simple chart creator that converts from written knitting instructions.
Photos
All pattern submissions should contain at least 3 or 4 photos to illustrate the construction of the knit item. Images should be of the highest quality, well lit and touched up as necessary, and saved as high quality JPGs. If your pattern contains a cable feature or lace, be sure to give us a close up of the stitching!
Please include photographer and model credits. All photos will be published on the Popknits flickr account and tagged appropriately so that they get the widest possible exposure. If you have a suggestion for the flickr tags, please include them. Photos posted to flickr will be licensed as “all rights reserved” unless you specify a different creative commons license to use.
Copyright
All Popknits patterns are published under the Creative Commons License Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0. Popknits prides itself on bringing knitting to the people and this license gives creative minds the most leeway to make knitting work for everyone.
It’s important to note two things:
- The license explicitly forbids using the pattern for commercial use unless otherwise stated by the author of the pattern.
- The license encourages derivative works ONLY IF the derivative work is attributed to the author and licensed under the exact same license.
If you do not wish your pattern to be published in this manner, please do not submit your pattern to Popknits.
Designers retain ownership rights to their patterns. Popknits reserves the right to republish patterns at a later date (online and still for free) and also to keep the patterns online and in the archives for the length of Popknits’s domain existence. Once a pattern is published, the author may not re-publish the pattern for sale at any time, once free, always free. The author may link to the pattern at any time from any location. Once the pattern is relocated to the archives after original publication, the designer may re-publish the pattern under the same Creative Commons License on their website, but only if they include the text “Originally published by Popknits” with a link to the original pattern on Popknits.
Your Pattern, Your Blog, and Your Relationship with Popknits
The pattern that you submit to Popknits cannot have appeared previously on your blog, in a book, or in any other medium. Once you have submitted a pattern to Popknits and it has been approved for publication, you may talk about your pattern on your blog, but you may not reveal any specific details about the project. Feel free to spread the word, but please don’t ruin the surprise for everyone else! Discuss your pattern and experience, but leave the details for the issue’s release. Linking to Popknits will increase your visibility once the issue has been released.
About the Author
This is the fun part! Be sure to include a short bio (not more than 100 words) about yourself, a photograph (see Photos area above for details on photo submissions), a link to your website or blog, and an introduction to the pattern (why you knit it, what’s special about it, what vintage item or idea inspired it, etc.) This is your chance to shine so please provide information that you really want people to know.
Submissions Pack
If you have decided to submit your pattern to Popknits, you should download the Popknits submission pack containing a template for submitting your pattern and a copyright declaration stating that you’ll abide by our copyright conditions and that the pattern you’re submitting is original. You are also required to add a home mail address where you can be reached should email prove to be an inadequate form of communication. Please email your submission to us when it is complete.
Honorarium
As of the Spring 2009 Issue, Popknits honorarium has been increased to match more mainstream online knitting magazines. Designers will be paid on a sliding scale based on the complexity of the design submitted. Typically, this honorarium will be from US$50 to US$150. Honorariums are paid through PayPal only. Checks or cash will not be an option. Designers will find that Popknits is easy to use and desirable for people to visit since we leverage many new technologies that other online knitting magazines do not. It’s our sincere hope that knitters will find Popknits a great source of information on vintage inspired knitting and will visit often, giving our designers the best opportunity for exposure.
Popknits Article Submission Guidelines
Thanks for taking an interest in publishing your article with Popknits.
Have a favorite vintage knitting technique that you’re itching to share? Want to bring new exposure to a fabulous designer who specializes in retro knits? Have a local knitting community with a unique history?
Then you should submit an article to Popknits! We’re looking for fun, interesting and fresh stories about all things related to the history of knitting or vintage-inspired. Below, you’ll find our guidelines for submitting pieces to Popknits.
Submissions Are Closed for the Immediate Future
Popknits will not be publishing in 2010. Please check back with us in Spring 2011!
Types
Popknits is looking for a wide variety of articles related to knitting vintage and retro-inspired items, knitting history, and the modernization of knitting. The possibilities are endless! Here are a few of the article types that we want to see:
- knitters to know (profiles of people involved with knitting, such as designers, bloggers, LYS owners, etc.)
- in your town (articles about knitting in your city)
- field trip (take us on a tour!)
- opinions or commentary (tell us what you think)
- reviews (knitting books, patterns sites, stores, yarns, notions, etc.)
- personal stories (mini-memoirs, etc.)
Do you have an idea for a type of article not included here? Submit your idea to us along with your article.
Format
Submissions should be from 1000 to 2500 words in length. Files should be submitted in Microsoft Word format or as text-only documents. Note that Popknits will edit your article for clarity, format and length.
Photos and Video
Please provide visual aids! Your article will have a better chance of being picked for an issue if you can provide us with photos or videos to illustrate your content. Photos should be attached to the same email as your article and not embedded into a Word document. If you have suggestions about where they should be placed within the context of your article, please indicate it within the article and name the image accordingly.
Images should be of the highest quality, well lit and touched up as necessary and saved as JPGs before submission to Popknits. Please include photographer and model credits. All photos will be published on the Popknits flickr account and tagged appropriately so that they get the widest possible exposure. If you have a suggestion for the flickr tags, please include them. Photos posted to flickr will be licensed as “All rights reserved” unless you specify a different creative commons license to use.
Popknits accepts videos only from active YouTube or Vimeo accounts. If you have a video tutorial or tour, please establish a YouTube or Vimeo account, upload your video there and send us the link along with your article. We do not accept videos via email. All videos will be screened for clarity and should contain G-rated appropriate behavior. Keep in mind that good sound, a clear picture and snappy editing will make for the most enjoyable viewing. Please do not violate the copyright of others by using music unless it is music that you produced. Be sure to credit those involved with making the video either in the article or at the end of the video.
Your Information
Please be sure to include the following:
- Your name as you wish it to be published
- An email address where readers can send questions or feedback through the Popknits contact form
- An author photo
- The URL to your website or blog, if available
- A short bio, 100 words max, written in 3rd person
- The names of any models featured in photographs you submit
- The photographer’s name
Copyright
All Popknits articles are published under the Creative Commons License Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0. This license makes it possible to syndicate your work but not for it to be plagiarized.
It’s important to note two things:
- The license explicitly forbids using the article for commercial use unless otherwise stated by the author of the pattern.
- The license discourages derivative works.
If you do not wish your article to be published in this manner, please do not submit your article to Popknits.
All Popknits articles will be available in excerpt format through our RSS feed.
In order for your article to be accepted by Popknits for publication, you will be required to submit a copyright declaration stating that your article is an original work. You can download a copy of the declaration here. Please attach it to the end of your article to indicate to Popknits that you abide by our copyright standards. Please email your submission to us when it is complete.
Honorarium
As of the Spring 2009 issue, Popknits is able to pay a US$50 honorarium to authors who are published on our site.
last updated on February 27 2010 at 05:07 PM ET
