מותר להתחיל במלאכה בערב שבת סמוך לחשיכה אף על פי שאינו יכול לגומרה מבעוד יום והיא נגמרת מאליה בשבת כגון לשרות דיו וסממנין במים והם נשרים כל השבת ולתת אונין (פי' אגודות) של פשתן לתנור כדי שיתלבנו ולתת צמר לתוך היורה שאינה על האש והיא טוחה בטיט שאם היא על האש אסור שמא יחתה (פי' יגלה ויעיר הגחלים במחתה) ואפי' אינה על האש אם אינה טוחה בטיט אסור שמא יגיס בה בכף והמגיס בקדיר' אפי' אינה על האש חייב משום מבשל ומותר לפרוס מצודות חיה ועופות ודגים והם נצודים בשבת ומותר למכור לנכרי ולהטעינו סמוך לחשיכה ובלבד שיצא מפתח ביתו מבעוד יום: הגה ויש מתירין שיוציא עכו"ם בשבת אם ייחד לו העכו"ם מקום מבעוד יום בבית ישראל ויש להחמיר (מרדכי פ"ק דשבת) ועיין לקמן סי' שכ"ה:

It is permitted to start an action on Friday near darkness even though the work cannot be completed on Friday and can only be finished on Shabbat. It is permitted to soak/ dissolve a ink or dye in water if it dissolves during Shabbat. It is permitted to put bundles of flax in the oven in order that they be whitened. It is permitted to put wool inside a large pot that is not on the fire, and it is covered with mud. But if the pot is on the fire it is forbidden, lest one stirs the coals. And even if it is not on the fire but it isn’t covered in mud, it is forbidden, lest he stir it with his hand. The one who stirs the pot even if it is not on the fire is liable because of cooking. It is permitted to spread out traps for animals, birds, and fish even though they will be trapped on Shabbat. It is permitted to sell to non-Jews and load it for him close to dark as long as he leaves the door of his house while it is still day. Rema: And there are those that permit it when the non-Jew leaves on Shabbat if the non-Jew designates a place on the next day in the house of a Jew. And there are those who are strict in this matter (Mordechai). See below Siman 325.

A person is permitted to give his garments to a non-Jewish launderer and his hides to a non-Jewish leather worker [to work on] close to nightfall [on Friday] if he established a price or he does them for a favor, and he does not tell him to do it on Shabbat, and the non-Jew performs the work in his house. RAMA: If he did not fix (a price) it is forbidden on Erev Shabbat, and see Siman 247 that there is a difference if one does it for free, for this is a favor. If he sees that he performs his work on Shabbat, if it was being done as a favor he must tell him it cannot be done on Shabbat. RAMA: Even if he gave it to him several days before Shabbat

And if there was a well known melachah, and it is known that it is of a Jew and one performs it in a well publicized place, it is good to be strict and to forbid it.

Regarding all who fix (a price), even though the non-Jew will perform the work on Shabbat, it is permitted for a Jew to cover the vessel on Shabbat itself, for all that fix (a set price) אדעתא דנפשיה קא עביד. RAMA: There are those who forbid covering it when everyone knows the non-Jew will finish the work on Shabbat. (Hagahos Ashiri; Mahar"il; Beis Yosef in the name of the Rokeach). And one must wait on Erev Shabbat until it is done, and this is our custom initially, if he does not need it on Shabbat, for then there are those who are lenient. If he depends on it being done on Erev Shabbat, it is permitted in all cases [Hagahos Alfasi]. And specifically if the non-Jew takes it to his house. However, it is forbidden to take vessels from a craftsman's workshop on Shabbat and Yom Tov [Mordechai; Hagahos Maimoni; Hagahos Ashiri]. All of this applies to vessels made for a Jew (Beis Yosef). However, regarding a non-Jew who makes shoes to purchase, it is permitted for the Jew who bought them to go and take them from him on Shabbat and wear them, provided he does not fix the purchase price with him [Hagahos Ashiri]

It is permitted to open water to the garden and the water will continue and flow all of Shabbat. It is permitted to put קילור, thick collyrium (salve) on the eye even though it is forbidden to put it on on Shabbat. It is permitted to perfume one’s clothes when the process of perfuming is continued all of Shabbat, even if the perfume is placed in a vessel, since one is not commanded to rest his vessels. It is permitted to put barley in a tub to soak, and to load the beams of the olive press or wine press while it is still day upon the olives or the grapes, and the oil or wine that comes from them is permitted [And see Siman 320 Seif 2]. Similarly, if unripe grapes or ears are mashed while it is still day, it is permitted to drink that which comes forth from it. It is permitted to put wheat in a water mill near dark. Rema: And we do not worry to the sound of the voices of those who say 'the mill of this person is grinding on Shabbat'. There are those who forbid regarding mills and in any place that there is a worry about listening to the sound (Tur; Tosefos; Rosh; Sma"g; Hagahos Maimoni; Teshuvos Mahari"v; Agur) and this is our custom initially. However in a place of loss there are those who are lenient as as explained above at the end of Siman 244. One may place a keli of a weight called זייגר from Erev Shabbat even though he hears a voice announcing the hours of Shabbat, because everyone knows that it is their way to place it there from yesterday (Tur Agur) and see below Seif 338

One may not go out on Erev Shabbat close to darkness with his needle/pin in his hands or his quill pen for he might forget and go out (on Shabbat). However, it is permitted to go out with tefillin close to dark because he will not forget (them).

It is a mitzvah for a person to touch his vessels on Erev Shabbat close to dark to make sure there is nothing forbidden in them when he goes out on Shabbat.