Where does time go?

Since I posted last, I have competed in another Feis (got 4 medals, danced 5 times), had a ballet dress rehearsal for the recital, mostly finished a sweater and got frustrated trying to design a lace shawl. The sweater is the Inverted V kit I bought at MS&W this year. I just have the crochet edging and blocking left to do.
This was a fun easy knit with shaping only at the shoulders and armpits. Now to stop the curling at the bottom.

I have been trying to design my own triangle lace shawl. I found a pattern I thought would work for the last part before the edge and then tried to find patterns to go in the big open space before that one. I charted several things in Excel and they tried to knit them. The first one I tried was just too much solid knitting, not enough lace. The second one I tried, I had the increases for the triangle wrong. I give up. It is way too hard for me. I just don't have the patience to see this through. I will just continue knitting other people's patterns. I didn't even take pictures of my trials, they were that unsuccessful.

I got the newest available Simply Knitting and just love these mice. I need to make them all, but I have to get the next issue to get the rest of the patterns.
I haven't figured out how tall each is, but I need to make them.