In at the deep end...

I haven't managed a lot of knitting this first week of school (no surprise, really), so I decided to focus my limited time on the Brandywine shawl.  I would like to finish it soon and get it to its patient recipient.

According to the pattern I have one and a half more 16-row repeats to do, and then the top edge, which is basically two rows, with some short rows worked at the tips.  I'm thinking that I'll probably work at least one or two extra repeats (even though I'm getting bored with these 16 rows!), because I've only used half of the yarn so far.  I think I'll end up with the dimensions listed in the pattern after the recommended number of repeats, but the pictured shawl looks bigger.  Also, this yarn is lovely and smooshy, so I don't think it will be unwieldy if I make the finished item a bit bigger.  I'll see how it looks in a repeat and a half.

Here is something pretty to show you.  In the summer I'd mentioned to my friend Annemarie that I like the little boxy project bags, and when I gave her the laptop cover I'd made her she gave me this lovely little bag.  Well-fitting zippers always impress me, as I am more of a straight-line sewer, and the appliqued and embroidered birds are just too sweet.  Thank you, Annemarie!