I love how exotic our gorgeous model, Anara, looks on the cover of our August issue. With all the rich jewel colours of this month's garments, Anara's dark and striking looks and the beautiful flowers, fabrics and glassware used in the shoot, you would think the photo shoot took place in the heat of Marrakech not the English countryside.

To get your imagination working overtime, here's a sneak peek of what you can expect...  

This beautiful lace shawl, by Anniken Allis, adds a hint of mystery and femininity without covering up too much.



Floaty, delicate kidsilk haze will make you feel romantic as you stroll around your summer garden



Or turn up the heat in this fiery coloured bell-sleeved cardigan



This issue is also packed with fantastic features like our new Fashion Forecast A/W10, looking at inspiration from the catwalk to discover the trends in knitwear for the coming season, and our look at The North Circular, the knitwear label set up by supermodels Lily Cole and Katherine Poulton.

Also in this issue

- Swiss darning masterclass

- More stash than cash – Erika Knight makes a summer slouch hat

- Gorgeous socks design supplement

And sadly, this month will have our last Purl About Town column for while as Laura Parkinson takes a much needed break after sharing with us the struggles of her newborn baby, Florence, who has spent the first few months of her life in Great Ormond Street Hospital. Thankfully we can now share with you that Laura and Florence are both now at home.

Next month, craft writer and blogger Perri Lewis takes the reins for a new series, Out and about with Perri, so that's something to look forward to.

As always, don't forget to let us know what you think of everything on the forums!