So Buttery Soft...

As I've mentioned before, I'm knitting (and crocheting, actually; there's a crocheted edging) a wedding shawl for my dear friend Shelby from high school.

This is the pattern I'm using, and this is the yarn. Baby alpaca, in the Oyster Heather color. So scrumptiously soft!

Anyway, I've started it and made a good bit of progress, so I thought I'd post a picture and show off a bit!

Keep in mind, it's all squished together, and lace doesn't actually look like lace until it's properly blocked. But I have to say, I've been doing very well.

Out of sheer paranoia, I've been placing lifelines every ten rows. When I started, it was every four...I've gained a little more confidence in my abilities since I started (placing a lifeline is putting a bit of spare yarn or string, or dental floss in my case, through where your needle is currently so that if you make a mistake and need to rip back a few rows, you can easily pick up where you were at the last lifeline instead of having to rip it all out and start over). It's a good thing, too, because I've already used them four times. This is really my first lace project, so I'm still getting used to it. It's a lot different, because the needles I'm using are way too big for the yarn (that's how you get the "lacy" effect) and it feels strange compared to the other knitting I've done in the past.