Missing Yarn and New Projects

Once again I can't find a skein of yarn.  It'll show up sometime soon.  I hope it will be in time to knit a small shawl for my mother for Christmas.  A friend of mine had just found her dog after it had been missing for almost two weeks.  Her search for Phoebe inspired this message and photo on Facebook:

Missing 1 skein of Cherry Tree Hill alpaca lace yarn in colorway Quartz (I think).  Last seen in the vicinity of my armchair last Friday night.  Yarn does not come when called.  It is wary of anyone with a stick in their hand.  May be hiding in stash. May be looking for another of its kind.

It's still missing.

Fortunately I had another project in mind for my mother.  I had bought some lovely Laines du Nord Dolly Baby in Spring 2009 half price.  It's a lovely lavender in "100% Wool Merino Extrafine Unshrinkable." 

My mother had chosen the Sumac Shawl pattern.  I hadn't yet knit any lace shawls and planned to knit a few shawls in progressively more difficult patterns for practice beforehand.  It seems to have worked.  I've done 4 repetitions of the pattern so far. 

 
When I was looking for the missing yarn, I was talking to my mother on the phone.  She said she hoped after I finished the pullover I was working on that I would knit something for her.  I didn't say anything.  I hope to keep it a surprise.  She doesn't use a computer, either.

I wanted the lace yarn so I could start the shawl for the knitting group Friday afternoon.  I didn't think I could work on my Sumac Shawl then.  I couldn't find anything else, though, so I took the shawl pattern.  For some reason I have to make 3 attempts at a new shawl before I can work the pattern right.  The same thing was true last Friday.   At least I left with a few rows finished that I was confident in.