Designers of the month: July

Stella Ackroyd

Stella's signature style is sophisticated. Just a little touch of lace or a sweet repeat sits elegantly at the edge of her beautiful shawl shaping, and classic garments are amongst cowls, gloves and socks that are knit-and-knit-again favourites - Stella creates patterns that knitters love to knit, and wear.  We love her knack of picking just the right yarn to show off her designs.

Goldilocks Rocks is one of those sock patterns that creates a sock that is so comfortable you'll never want to knit another. The heel decreases are cleverly designed to keep the stitches lying naturally flat, and Stella says the textured pattern is written to avoid a pattern jog between rows.

Sandpiper is a classic cardigan that will never let you down. Happy with jeans or over a dress, this flattering shaping and moss stitch edging is knitted in worsted weight yarn, so it'll grow so fast, too!

Bring back the bonnet! We have seen with the last few British royal babies, a resurgence of the bonnet, which is a very good thing indeed. Bonnets are wonderful because they don't fall off - and they keep ears cosy and warm. Tomte has a beautiful textured stripe and sweet garter stitch ties. A perfect new-baby gift.

The Velvet Acorn

The Velvet Acorn, aka HeidiMay, is a prolific designer of exceptionally cute childrenswear - but also wonderfully wearable garments and accessories for adults. Inspired by nature, and the great outdoors, HeidiMay's designs are gorgeously cosy and timeless, and flattering to all. We love her rustic colour palette and rich textured stitch combinations.

Wishing Wings is a glorious fringed shawl with a generous wingspan, perfect for breezy evenings and chilly mornings. You can wear this beauty with anything at all, and we just love those clever textured stripes.

This sweet asymmetric Picking Wildflowers Cardigan is a perfect cover up for chilly walks, and the perfect mummy-and-me-make - the sizes run from age 1-2 to adult 4XL. It's knitted in the round, top down, with raglan sleeve shaping.

This beauty Wander Forever follows the stunning trend for ombré and fade, and asymmetrical increases create a triangle shape. Wander Forever uses 4ply (fingering) yarn held double - and in this case, the beautiful Malabrigo Sock creates a heady depth, but your favourite 4ply would be just as beautiful in your own personal rainbow

Janina Kallio

Janina Kallio, aka Woolenberry, combines minimalism and simplicity to create cosiness in her stunning designs - and her strapline"fall in love with knitting"is exactly what will happen when you start to knit these gorgeous patterns, inspired by nature and the changing of the seasons.  It is truly a collection of shawls that you'll knit one after the other and revel in the knitting AND wearing of them.

This beautiful complex Lake Song lace is surprisingly easy to knit, and created by knitting from one tip to the opposite edge of the triangle. Designed to reflect tranquil waters, this serene and floaty shawl has acres of drape - knit in your favourite 4ply yarn.

In contrast to Lake Song, Bough is all about bare branches bending in the wind during nature's winter sleep - and you can just imagine being wound up in the gentle warmth of those elegant zig zag repeats. Knitted in a worsted weight yarn, Bough really is a cosy, warm shawl.

A perfect combination of eyelets, stripes, garter stitch and lace makes Spotlight the most fabulous everyday scarf - wear it with jeans, over dresses and jackets, for work or for coffee - it's the most useful shawl you will knit! You'll need two shades of 4ply (fingering) weight yarn to create a good contrast.