Call for Submissions: Knit Now Winter 2017

I am open to any ideas submitted, including a broad selection of patterns for women, men, children, babies and the home in each issue. Knit Now caters to a range of ages and ability levels, so beginner, intermediate and advanced patterns are equally welcome – the beauty of the design is what is most important. Each issue includes the following, so keep this in mind when considering ideas.

• 60% accessories. Quick knits and patterns using less than 400g of yarn, such as hats, scarves, shawls and socks.
• 20% garments – generally skewed towards the simpler end of things, patterns which are primarily wearable and stylish. All garments must be sized up to at least a 3X.
•  10% babies’ and children’s knits (including toys). We have a preference for contemporary, gender-neutral designs.
•  10% Homewares and other stuff – Beautiful, useful, sometimes unexpected things. Tea cosies are welcome but we draw the line at egg cosies!
  TIP! We frequently have lots of garments submitted, but only a handful of baby knits and not as many accessories or toys. You will improve your chances of acceptance if you think beyond garments.
  During this season, each issue will include;
• The Collection: 6 key pieces which respond to a themed mood board. The collection usually features 1-2 adult garments and 4-5 adult accessories.
• Main pattern section: 10 or more designs which do not relate to the collection theme but are seasonally appropriate.
  The Collections:
•  Edelweiss, curated by Anni Howard https://uk.pinterest.com/kateheppell/edelwiess/ Tyrolean treats for a European winter. Indulge in twisted cables and pretty colourwork inspired by Alpine knitting traditions. We’re looking for one or two garments but mostly accessories – hats, scarves, mitts, socks and more. Adult pieces only for this collection please.
• Landranger: curated by Anna Elliott https://uk.pinterest.com/kateheppell/landranger/ Inspired by the geography of the British Isles and the maps which record it. This is for our Best of British issue, so this call is limited to British designers and we will be working only with British yarns. Again, adult pieces only for this collection, but baby designs using British yarns are welcome elsewhere in the issue.
• Mother Knows Best https://uk.pinterest.com/kateheppell/mother-knows-best/ A special collection to celebrate Mothers’ Day. Coordinating knits for mum and daughter. Simple and stylish patterns for all ages. We will include one garment pattern in this collection but think mostly about accessories – the pieces can be different (eg. hat for mum, headband for daughter) but must be related. For this collection, each idea must have one piece for adult women and one piece for babies/small children.
  General Boards for more inspiration:
• Fall 2016 Ready to Wear: https://uk.pinterest.com/kateheppell/fall-16-rtw/
• Pre-fall 2016: https://uk.pinterest.com/kateheppell/pre-fall-16/

Submission requirements:
Your submission should include a sketch and accompanying paragraph describing the item, a photograph or scan of your swatch and ideas for yarn choices. The submission should be presented in a PDF document, with your name and email address on every page. All information should be included in the submission document, including pictures. Please also tell us where we can find other examples of your work – a link to your Ravelry designer profile is ideal. You will be commissioned to write a full pattern (including any alternative sizes) and knit a sample.

We will take care of photography.
Please create a separate PDF for each idea and name the file in the following format: YourName _PatternName_KNwinter17.pdf

Deadline:
The deadline for submissions will be 9am UK time on Monday 27th June. You should hear from us either way within a week of the deadline. Deadlines for final patterns and samples will be Monday 5th September 2016, though there may be some flexibility in this, on a case-by-case basis.

Send to/contact:
You can contact me for a chat on Ravelry (kathleenalice), Twitter (KateHeppell) or email, but please send your submissions to me by email: kate.heppell@gmail.com Please note that I will be on holiday from 9th-20th June.

Compensation/Support:
We will reimburse you fairly for your work and, 4 months after publication, rights will revert to you and you will then be able to use the final tech-edited version of the pattern as you wish. Yarn support is offered to all designers. Your sample remains your property, but we will hold onto it for a while in case we get pattern queries, or for display at shows. We will return your sample to you at the same time as your publication rights.
We have recently reviewed our fee structure and can give the following examples of fees; Hat in 3 sizes: £70-£100 Baby garment in 5 sizes: £120-£150 Adult garment in 7 sizes: £300-£400 The exact fee will depend on a number of factors including the complexity of the design.