Hold my coat, I'm going in!

This morning I embarked on my biggest knitting adventure to date, a lace shawl.

It's called the Feather and Fan Comfort Shawl, I'm knitting it on 5mm needles (did try it on 3.75mm but the fabric was coming up too dense, the bigger needles are giving it a much better drape and it feels so much softer) and using Manos Silk Blend, colour #7338 (a variegated blue) and it seems to be coming out really well.  So far anyway.

Thanks to the lovely people at the Phoenix Knitting Forums I've discovered the wonder that is lifelines and am sorely tempted to use them for everything from now on because I have a nasty habit of dropping stitches if I don't concentrate fully on what I'm doing.

I've also been advised to use stitch markers but I don't actually have any.  I would really love some of those gorgeous beaded ones that you can get but I just can't afford them right now *sighs*

I know it's not the most complicated lace pattern in the world but seeing as it's my first time, that's great for me.  Especially as it's written out instead of charted.  Ill try a charted pattern next time when I (hopefully) have a little more confidence and experience and know what the lace stitches are supposed to look like.