My first hurdle was swatching. This is where a knitter tries to see if their stitches per inch matches what the pattern requires. The pattern for the online class wanted it washed and dried the same way I'd wash and dry the sweater, so I made one large swatch and tested out the size knitting needle called for, one smaller, and one larger.
I finished this after laundry day and I waited an entire week for the next load of clothes. I came out spot-on for gauge, BTW, which I almost never do. (The picture is of my swatch.)
With the size needle I needed settled, I opened my pattern and prepared to knit. Only to discover I needed a 16 inch circular needle to cast on. Guess what I don't own? The disappointment was major.
Now I'm on hold while I wait for the necessary needles to arrive. I'm impatient, not only because I want to start my first sweater ever, but also because I don't want to start another project and have to put it aside, so no knitting for the past couple of weeks. :-( I suppose I could have worked on a couple of projects I had hibernating, but I didn't feel like it.
Come on, needles! I need to cast on!