Project planning: Seraphim Shawl

The Forest Canopy shawl is dead, long live the Seraphim shawl!  This will be my first MimKnits pattern and my first charted lace.  A little nervous about that one.

I ordered four skein of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Pine from the Loopy Ewe on Friday morning, and I got them on Saturday, I'm impressed!  The pattern requires 800-900 yds of fingering weight and I was planning to take out one repeat, so that should be plenty.

I got my invite to Ravelry a few weeks ago and it helps seeing the finished and in-progress seraphim shawls.  Definitely looks better in solid or nearly solid yarns.  It will be my first big project in years, and my first charted lace ever.  I did a Bad Thing and showed Anna the pattern, now she wants to make one too...

How do you hold the circular needle when it has a few hundred stitches on?  My usual way works fine with socks but I'm already having problems.