The forever shawl

I started this shawl at Christmas, 2005, when some of my family came to visit. I hurt my wrists hauling our bags around running for tight train connections, so then I couldn't knit for a couple of months. I picked it up again during a summer school, but then somehow haven't really touched it since. I guess it's too overwhelming? It takes a lot of concentration, so no watching TV while I knit this. It's an enormous triangle shape--hard to see bunched up on the needle, but I'm at the wide base of the triangle. Stretched out I think it would be 4 or 5 feet. This is my first time working on straight needles--I learned to knit on Addi Turbos and use them for everything unless I have to go to double pointeds. But this yarn (thread???) is so fine and slippery it was hard to work on metal needles, so I finally bought a pair of wood needles this summer hoping it would inspire me.... The pattern is from Three-cornered and Long Shawls (about halfway down the page), a book of Icelandic lace patterns. They are gorgeous, but not quick!