I've been away for a couple of weeks doing this; Icarus! My first ever lace shawl, and I have been bitten by the lace-y bug! I've heard the Yarn Harlot speak of the 'magic' of lace blocking, and now I too have experienced the magic ... and it is AMAZING! [although I had to wear a plastic on my thumbs for the next couple of days after pushing all those pins into the carpet]
This shawl chose me - I went to see Sunshine at the cinema [alright, but mince for the last 3rd of the film] and the spacecraft was called Icarus. Random knit-blog surfing after the film found me at Mirum's blog. I love the design - it's Icarus' frame with the feathers having melted to the ends.
I used handpaintedyarn.com's laceweight - colourways Bombon and Sunshine Yellow.
Like Icarus, I too began in a cocky manner, convinced of my success and confident that I didn't need lifelines or stitch-markers to mark pattern repeats. I learned my lesson [along with how to tink lace and cry without letting the tears splash the yarn ...]
I found the idea for a colour change on Craftster and thought that the smouldering shawl would be fantastically highlighted by the tips being 'on fire'.
I've swung back and forth with whether I actually like the colours, but since I've finished Icarus it hasn't been off my shoulders!
My only problems with the pattern were remembering the separate ways to yarn over, depending on whether after a purl, before a knit etc.
I would recommend this as a first lace shawl - the frame section is relatively easy, and the lace section was a good introduction.
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