Help me decide

My next goal is to finish my Rhinebeck sweater.  I only have the neckband and button bands to go!  I do need help deciding what to work on after that though.  I am torn between starting  the third shawl in the Seven songs series - Stravinsky
or starting a tablecloth for my Mom.

The Shawl pros:

1. Portable!  I need another portable project
2. makes me caught up to the release of the pattens.  I love feeling "on schedule"
3. uses wool.  easy on the hands, and I have the perfect colorway

The shawl cons:

1. requires a chart, so it is not EMINENTLY portable, like a sock
2. feeds into my weird need to always be "caught up" or "even".  Do I need to reinforce this weirdness in myself?
3. I have no intended use for this yet.  It will most likely be a gift, but I don't need to get it done right now

The tablecloth pros:

1. My mom specifically asked for one, so I know she will like it.  It won't be wasted effort.
2. there is a sense of accomplishment in finishing a tablecloth.  It is a knitting bucket list item for me.
3. it will be small for a while, filling the portable project gap for a little, then can become a stay home project after the sweater is complete.

Tablecloth cons:

1. cotton yarn is tiresome to work with.  But, this is true of starting this project at any time.
2. i haven't really picked a pattern yet.  The one i really WANT to do is in German.  That seems like quite the undertaking.  I have back up patterns, but am on the fence.
3. when it is finished I'll need to build a frame to starch and block it.  again, I'll have to do this whenever I make the cloth, I just feel like i should figure it out before I start, you know?

so.... opinions?