W2s and helpful ideas welcome

I started doing our company's W2s and all the other end of the year paperwork yesterday. I have more of it ahead of me today and maybe tomorrow also. AUGH!!!! I hate doing government paperwork. Hate it I tell you. I get rather OCD about the whole business. Checking and rechecking to make sure everything is just so....as if it could change itself while I put it in an envelope. I just have to remember....when I'm done it'll be a full year of not having to think about it again. :)

I started on the second mitten last night. Am almost through making the gusset for the thumb so am moving right along. Of course now that I'm getting both the hat and the mittens done, the weather warms up so much that I don't really need them. Uff.

There is a lady in town, more of an aquaintance than a friend, but I'm thinking of doing a prayer shawl for her. She is facing a very serious medical condition and I think a prayer shawl would give her some comfort. I have been looking at patterns and found one that looks pretty but is fairly simple on the Lionbrand website. It's the Very Easy Ripple Shawl. I don't have yarn on hand and would have to probably order something online unless I could find something suitable at Walmart, Joann's or Michael's. They are my only local options. I need to do this quickly though and researching this on Ravelry, it doesn't sound like a quick knit but more of a boring drag. I'd love suggestions on quick but pretty patterns and yarn ideas wouldn't hurt either. Thanks.