Call for Submissions: Annual Six and Seven

This time we are looking for submissions for both Annual 6 and Annual 7. Due to the time of year we’d like to photograph these issues, we need to plan ahead and find glorious designs and patterns for both our themes, and boy is there a lot to sink your teeth into…

Annual 6 – Power and Steam, 2026

We create all our wares using glorious vintage machines. They truly are part of our team and we invest a lot of time keeping them humming along smoothly. So it’s no surprise that we are always excited when encountering other forms of vintage machinery, like the steam-powered trains, and fantastic cliff railways still operating in Devon.

For this issue, we want to tap into our industrial heritage and celebrate the dynamism and excitement which heralded the arrival of the trains. Suddenly folks were able to travel the length and breadth of the country in just a few hours! Whether it’s the beautiful mechanisms, intricate tracks and architectural structures which grab your attention, the detailed posters and ticket stubs, or the clothing and furnishings of yester-year, we’d love to know what wanders through your mind on long, lazy train journeys.

We are looking for knitting and crochet patterns that have a link to the forms and patterns of heritage machinery or that might be worn on an exciting steam-train adventure.  As well as patterns, we’re looking for articles, puzzles, recipes and illustrations that fit the theme of ‘Power and Steam’.

You’ll find the mood board for Annual 6 below. We are so looking forward to seeing how you translate this theme.

View our Annual 6 Mood Board

How to submit your ideas

Annual 7 – A Walk in the Woods, 2027

A slight chill in the air, the scent of bonfires and decaying plant matter, the crunch of fallen leaves underfoot, the tree canopy above a mass of every shade of orange, red, and brown… a walk in the Devon forests in autumn is a treat for all the senses.

Every walk in the woods is an opportunity to get inspired by the natural world whether it’s admiring moss gardens, foraging for fungi, conversing with the pixies, collecting leaf skeletons, or the simple pleasure of shutting one’s eyes for a few moments and listening to the sounds of wind rustling the branches. We’d love to know what inspires you most about your local forest.

We’re looking for knitting and crochet patterns that can be worn on strolls in the forest, or ones inspired by the forms present in autumnal flora. As well as patterns, we’re looking for articles, puzzles, recipes, and illustrations that fit that autumnal ‘Walk in the Woods’ feel.

You’ll find the mood board for Annual 7 below. We are so looking forward to seeing how you translate this theme.

View our Annual 7 Mood Board

How to submit your ideas

Submission Info

Designs

For these issues of our Annual we are mainly looking for accessories, but if you have an absolutely blinding idea for a garment, please feel free to present it too. We are after patterns that won’t take too much space to print: hats, scarves, cowls, gloves, mittens, shawls, socks, or homeware. We will be printing 5-8 patterns per issue, depending on length of pattern text. All crafts are encouraged; show us your knit, crochet, embroidery, or tapestry ideas. Can it be made with our yarn or tops? We’d love to see it!

Articles or Other Ideas

Did our mood board get your creative juices flowing? Did inspiring topics and ideas start fluttering through your mind? If you think you’ve had a brilliant idea for an article, illustration, puzzle, game or anything else then we’d love to know!

Compensation and Support

We will, obviously and happily, provide the yarn needed for your sample. Any and all of our ranges can be used in your design, and we would love to know if you have a favourite. As with previous Annuals, all designs will be worked up in multiple samples, to show off as many of our bases as possible. For this reason, designs which can be made in more than one thickness or gauge are welcomed.

Compensation is offered on a scale of difficulty of the design. We will provide tech editing and testing for the finished pattern and the designs will be professionally photographed. The designs will be beautifully presented in print and PDF format. We will retain full rights to the design for 12 months after publication, after which the rights will revert to you.

We will pay the designer on a sliding scale between £300 and £450 depending on complexity of pattern. All other submissions like recipes, illustrations, puzzles and articles are also compensated. Payment is by bank transfer in the UK and PayPal or Wise if you are abroad. Each contributor will receive a printed copy of the Annual.

Annual 6 Timeline

Annual 7 Timeline

How to Submit
If this has galvanized your creative juices, then pop your submission into a PDF including your design, swatch, suggested yarns and / or tops, design inspiration and how it will work with our issue theme. Please also include a little bit about yourself and any previous design work. Send your PDF to us in an email, to [email protected]. The deadline for submissions on both issues is 21st July, 2025. The mood boards are there to inspire and inform but not necessarily dictate. Please feel free to submit multiple ideas for both issues. We’re so excited to hear how our themes have inspired you!

Questions?
Please email us at [email protected]

Diversity and Inclusivity
We believe a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment is one where all employees & customers, whatever their gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation or identity, religion, education, or disability, feels valued and respected. We are committed to a non-discriminatory approach and to keeping all John Arbon Textiles spaces (be they at our Mill, our Shop, a yarn show, or online) safe and enjoyable for all. We respect and value diverse life experiences and heritages and wish to ensure that all voices are valued and heard.