The Back Side, The Outside, and The Up Side

Commenter Bedstemor remarked on the Hardanger cloth under the Pewter Santa in the Chocolate Mead pic from yesterday's post. She mentioned that she had a piece done in blue and white (sounds gorgeous) but the openwork border was coming apart. She asked what she did wrong. My guess is that she did nothing wrong- it's the nature of the beast (especially if little fingers start picking at the edging). Case in point: the back side of that same piece of Hardanger embroidery. I really do need to do something with it, before it all comes unraveled (accidentally or otherwise). (I'm not sure of a solution either- Fray Check would work, but that seems like cheating. Any suggestions out there?)

It's above zero this morning, calm and beautiful. The 6" or so of new snow is a soft blanket right now, but as soon as the wind comes up, it's going to become *interesting* again.

The upside of not knitting sweaters for anyone this Christmas, is that I am done with my Holiday knitting! In fact, I made an extra handspun ribbed hat for a guest who had no gifts under the tree (these are his school colors). And I have time to work on the Aunt Helen Valkyrie Socks, which I will probably finish today, though I have a bunch of cleaning and cooking to do in prep for tomorrow's influx of family and company. Of course, that just means that I am in danger of adding items to the Christmas Knitting List, because I can't leave well enough alone. Is two days enough time to knit a sweater?