knitting weather

Some people think 'Indian Summer' is a last, tantalizing taste of warmth and sun, making the transition to autumn even harder to bear. I think that it makes the first cool, crisp days of fall stand out in greater beauty and relief (and I do wish to evoke both meanings of this word).

Yesterday had all the trappings of summer: sunshine, high temperatures, lively farmer's market in Union Square, heirloom tomatoes, swingy skirts. But it also meant that my apartment was so sticky and stifling that I could hardly think. Thus it was with utter BLISS that I awoke this morning to a refreshingly crisp breeze and clear autumnal sunshine.

This, folks, means excellent knitting weather. And I spent a yummy hour curled up with a cup of tea and my newest knitting project.
The idea is to make a seamless, top-down, tie-front shrug, with either garter or linen-stitched borders. Here's the sketch from my knitting notebook:
You may notice several black paws in the above photo. I swear, I don't (usually) try to put Leila into the photographs. She \ gets excited when she senses a new activity and comes around to investigate, plopping herself into the midst of it. Eventually she got tired of being on the periphery and started voguing for the camera.