Warm Tootsie's

Today was the sort of day the beginning of September often brings: sunshine, blue skies, long shadows and a light breeze that augurs the onset of Autumn but doesn't yet require heavy duty clothing in order to sit outside at pavement cafes.

It is just the sort of weather in fact that misleads new students to Edinburgh into thinking that this is what is going to be on offer while they study here.

Little do these innocents know that this hiatus is just for starters. The main course will be quite different, with freezing winds and rain as side dishes to the main helping of a grey cheerlessness.

They must make the most of this time of sauntering to and forth to lectures in sunshine and warmth, because take it from me, it won't last.

They might have need of socks like these, hot off my needles, but which were inspired by Poppy's socks which we encountered when we visited her in June.

They are now en route to Glasgow to keep the feet of Glasgow daughter warm and dry when this false Indian summer dissolves into a drench, wet cold, winter.