With December looming, it felt quite good to finish a couple of things which have been so very nearly done for the last couple of weeks. First, Mark's socks, which have turned out pretty well. I knitted them following the pattern in Sensational Socks and particularly like the heel, which is traditionally worked but Charlene Schurch's addition of a garter stitch border alongside the picked up "seam" is something I will try to remember when I knit other patterns. I think it works very well.

The second fanfare was sounded as the (very long!) cast off was finished on the Swallowtail Shawl. A whole heap of mistakes in this one, some more noticeable than others, but it was a learning experience and I might add that there are fewer mistakes towards the end of the shawl than at the beginning! I think that next time I knit this pattern, I shall choose slightly smaller needles or less fine yarn. Knitting cobwebs never did come easily to me and I think that having more substance on my needles would have made forming the stitches more straighforward.
Taking this photograph of the edge alerted me to one area of potential disaster. Can you spot it too? (Off to find my crochet hook and a darning needle!!)

It is intended for the one and only person in the whole world who will think it's wonderful, however many mistakes there are in it. You can guess who that is.

(Good job there's been no questions about how the Christmas cakes turned out yet!)