I just tried to crochet a lace shawl (Mote by Sharon Miller) with 5 mm circular needles and denim lace Rowan.
I casted on the 299 stitches but knitting the first row proved really difficult as the stitches got tighter and tighter. In the end, my yarn broke.
The pattern had some K2bl, k2tog and yfwd which I think make it difficult for me to keep the right tension on the first row.
Would it be better to use wooden needles and maybe a larger size for the cast on? Thank you for any help and advice you can give me
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What cast on are you using? You might try the larger needle for the cast on then change to you pattern needle to give you more space in the loop over the needle. You could also work a knit row before starting the pattern if you’d like.
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I used the single cast on. I did not realize there are other ways. Is there a more effective way? Thank you 
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Have you tried this one? You might find it looser.
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Honestly I cast on with 2 needles together, It work for me.
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Just for future reference, there are MANY ways to cast on, and also many ways to bind off. Some are stable, some are stretchy, some are better for garter stitch, some are great for ribbing–all of them have their different uses. Every knitter you talk to will have one or two favorites, and they will defend their choice against all comers! There are even books called “Cast on, Bind Off”…one of them has 211 different ways!
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Thank you for all your replies, I will give the lace cast on a go as I have realized that is the one recommended in the pattern too
It is interesting to know there are other ways to cast on and bind off. I should have a look at this too as I have always used the same method for my projects. Thank you 
It’s interesting that the video @Mel61 posted showing knitted on or lace cast on has the ths stitch mounted without the twist. I have, until now, thought this was the knit cast on done incorrectly but this video has explained that the omitting of the twist makes it more elastic. That’s really interesting and I learned something there.
@Celine2 the discovery of different cast in and bind off methods was quite amazing to me. It can be a bit overwhelming to be faced with so many options but maybe just look for one or two to try on different projects or swatches now and again and it is a more manageable subject to explore.
In the lace cast on she warns of not over tightening the stitch and is keeping them spaced out to maintain some extra yarn in the stitch. I would use a needle a few sizes bigger so that the tension is less reliant on my managing it correctly and more managed by the size of the needle (as salmonmac mentioned).
You might want to go up in needle size when it comes to binding off too.
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sounds like a must have!
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Discovering different bind offs made a huge difference to my projects, especially garments where rope like edges can spoil the way they fall!
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