Keep your chin up (and the skin tight!). I'm just starting out as well so I feel your pain. There are some good lather tutorials at Badger and Blade Part 1 and Part 2. I spent an evening practicing making lather. A good practice technique, IMO is to start out making it too dry (sticky) and gradually add water until it is wet and runny. Practicing that a few times will let you pick out some clues as to when it's ready.

The butter knife is definitely a good tool for practice. Some people also recommend lathering up an inflated balloon and shaving it. This will give minimal wear to the razor and give good feedback on angle and pressure.

Good luck!