knit a lace shawl

My mother is going to Italy next spring. Because this is such a monumental thing, she has asked if I would be willing to knit a shawl for her. Without thinking, I said yes.

Here’s what I’m going to have to do:

1. Select the raw wool
2. Learn to spin on a wheel
3. Not fear lace
4. Learn to knit from a complex chart
5. Oh, and pick the perfect pattern.

Yes, these are the criteria I have set for myself, and I can blame no one else for them. But, dude. It would be the pinnacle of my knitting career to give my mom the best shawl ever.

Ahhhhh, but which one?

That’s what’s holding me back here. How to decide? What if the chart makes me dizzy before I start? How will I cast on without passing out from fear?