S O P H I E S T E L L E R

04/07/2024

Creating a tapestry in knitwear using stitch mixes in jacquard offers endless possibilities.

One of our most popular services to clients is to create bespoke and unique patterns that match their prints and wovens to create knitwear that merchandises perfectly in harmony with their whole collection.

Contact us if you are looking for a specific pattern to be program ready for your factory.

04/07/2024

With the concept of all the hues of red at the core of the collection for Consinee it allowed for a rich vibrancy to patterns and stitches that felt regal, elegant and refined.

We had 5 key fabric directions to communicate the seasons trends with the main emphasis on tapestry and brocade inspired jacquards, ornate cabling and richly textured tweeds.

Yarns and their use in multiple combinations was pivotal to making these heritage inspirations feel fresh and contemporary.

03/07/2024

The collection explores the beauty of stitches worked in combination, how the balance needs to be right in proportion, tension and technique to create new dimensions even in the softest of cashmeres.

08/04/2022

One trend shown two ways to suit different yarn brands for the same company.

🧶A big part of our job involves helping clients show their customers how their yarns can be used and relevant to seasonal trends. Though customers will always have their own trends and colours, it is always helpful to have research and confirmation of ideas for the season.

So we help find creative ways each season to do this, constantly evolving new formats and presentation methods.

Using our Apex system from we design, program and pitch all the fabrics that can then be emailed to the factories to knit for the books.

Every yarn brand is different so even though macro trends come from the same place we adapt trends to suit the product.

These were pages from one direction all for for SS2023 but developed to suit Consinee classic cashmere and a variation for Topline fancy yarns.

With our insight into designing knitwear collections we know how a designer views a yarn collection and apply this knowledge to help spinners cards reflect this.

🧶Marketing is a key part of the sales process, a wise yarn sales director once said to me shade cards are your silent salesperson and so getting your cards right can make all the difference.

Concept, content and design
Graphic design

07/04/2022

We seem to be becoming a little stripe obsessed at the moment, possibly it’s because colour is having such a moment or perhaps it’s with the ‘90’s back in fashion when all things stripey reigned particularly in knitwear.

Whatever the reason we don’t really need an excuse in this studio to make huge colour palettes, play like crazy with them and fun layouts to produce a range of fabulous stripes in multiple options and colourations.

What has changed since the ‘90’s is technology and yarn innovation. Stripes can now have so much more texture, volume and complexity. We can also knit them from 16gg-3gg so they can go from refined and elegant to casual.

As now we start aw23/24, stripes continue to feature in a big way, long live the stripe trend! 👏

🧶 eco stretch viscose on 16gg

07/04/2022

06/04/2022

Updated classics….. a huge part of designing knitwear is understanding traditional structures and modernising them to make relevant. We spend a lot of time evolving successful tried and tested stitches to look new and fresh.

Knitwear is of course centuries old and the machines of today are simply a mechanical adaptation of the principle structures of knitting.

What todays technology allows is more complexity and options around these structures, which in turn has given rise to much more sophisticated and elaborate fabrications in knitwear to be achievable even at commercial levels.

Traditional knitwear was originally only seen as a craft, today it is a highly technical skill.

Once a winter side act for cosy casual wear, now it takes center stage offering total knit dressing for 4 seasons from fine to chunky, clothing to accessories.

So when we talk about updating classics the options are endless when you have good technical knowledge of yarns and stitches.

Todays knitwear renaissance is about celebrating tradition, respecting techniques and bringing it all up to date. This humble craft has come a long way.

🧶7gg lace and cable knitted in linen cashmere blend

05/04/2022

We are often asked where do we get our trends from? The answer of course is trends are about instinctive evolutions of ideas that build over time, no one source but lots of constant research. That said we also look to trend services too to use their forward knowledge and insight to start our next part of research off.

We work with to develop fabrics for their forecasts which is always a great start, then we also subscribe to the amazing books from , books we have worked with for many years and are always spot in for trends and commercial yet creative colours and directions.

For SS2023 the macro message is “gratitude” - after so much change and uncertainty the idea of a reset to appreciate more what we have and find joy in all aspects of our lives.

☀️This idea filters into all the trends for the season, but nothing summed up the idea of gratitude more than worshipping the sun. It breathes life into every day, gives us a fresh start and new perspective, and it is what keeps everything alive!

We have used it on graphics and in patterns, stripes and palettes to bring hope and joy.

Things may not be easy for so many just now but it is keeping it simple with a humble gratitude for days of hope and joy that will get us through and definitely what SS2023 needs to be about. So here today we are giving you a knit with a bit of sunshine to brighten your day. ☀️

25/03/2022

When being asked to design a collection to highlight fine merino and cashmere the brief was to create outfits comfortable enough to lounge in but elegant enough to entertain in.

Knitwear of course is the perfect vehicle to achieve this… soft and comfortable yet refined and uniquely tactile.

We explored the idea of fluidity and layering that contours your form whilst adding dimension and sensuality through organically formed stitches inspired by nature.

This particular project was to show the versatility and beauty of the clients yarns by bringing them to life in a garment collection to compliment the creative fabrics.

From concept, fabric design and programming to garment tech, fitting, sourcing and production advice, we can offer a complete knitwear collection development service for simply one style or an entire collection.

So if you want help making your knitwear vision a reality just get in touch…. Let our talented team of designers be your team to bring to your own ideas to life.

🧶 Luxury loungewear collection designed exclusively for based on original trends and colours by for FW23/24
Fabric and garment design, programming and creation

23/03/2022

Keeping an open mind and embracing the “happy accidents” is a very important skill when colouring up knitwear!

Like so many of you must have also experienced during lock down, we were forced to pick colours from colour cards that were only available online, so a great deal of guess work and leaps of faith were behind our creative processes.

Take this stunning bold silk jacquard we designed virtually on Apex but had a factory knit up…. It started out life planned as a softer combo to create a watercolour effect.

As you can see the soft lilac, muted blue and peach we thought we were selecting must have all been flattened through the screen because what arrived was this dynamic, bold and vibrant combination of fresh lilac orange and indigo instead.

But in fact we love this even more and started us off on a whole new tangent to design a collection of bright graphic florals for spring.

So however much planning and creating cads is done there is nothing like knitting down to finally see how it looks. Which is why we nearly always simulate to develop but still knit to confirm….. continually keeping an open mind in order to enjoy what the final outcome turns out to be.

🧶 16gg jacquard in pure silk “Giselle” by Topline

22/03/2022

🍊A burst of orange to brighten your day…. ☀️

But not just a passing moment for today ….. we have been seeing for quite a while now that colour is championing neutrals in all that we do. A stitch like this traditionally would only ever have sold in cream or a soft tinted neutral, but not any more.

Since selling designs moved to zoom and retailers had to rely on online sales, the way a knit grabs your attention through a screen has changed our aesthetic senses towards making bolder and braver choices. We now can knit in a rainbow of options we never once thought possible.

This has also filtered through into the consumer attitude to dressing as they make bolder choices about pattern and colour to stand out in a video or photo but also to seek out joy and positivity which colour delivers in spades.

So even when designing the classics like cables and ribs try out some bolder colour choices, we are sure you won’t be disappointed! 💥

🧶 5gg cable pointelle knitted using a silk chainette yarn Davina from Topline.

21/03/2022

🌸Floral jacquards are showing no sign of slowing down in popularity…. Having researched the start of AW23/24 the are still holding their own for another season.

For SS23 we have florals in nearly every colour trend - but particularly love this natural, organic home grown direction.

Using natural yarns like linen and cashmere that have subtle textures and adding structure to the jacquard two tone graphic patterns take on a hand drawn yet dimensional quality.

Developing patterns is so much more than finding the right graphic, it is understanding the essence and mood it wants to convey and using the multiple tools only knitwear has to make a pattern unique and special.

Creating signature knitwear pieces can unify and compliment a whole collection. Our design team can interpret your moods, prints or seasonal artwork and develop them creatively and technically through yarns, stitches and colour.

We can develop one pattern or a whole collection, we are completely flexible to meet your knitwear needs.