WIP: Quiviuk!

[jess_hawk]

So I finally started my Qiviuk project, IK's Qiviuk Webs Tam. I tried casting on a few months ago but kept breaking the yarn because it's so delicate and I keep too much tension on the yarn with my regular CO (longtail). So I opted to not start again until I had a size 2 circ that I could use for the project, but I stuck the yarn in my Australia luggage anyway (despite having bought a size 6 Addi instead of a size 2) and the other day finally got up the guts to try casting on again - this time using backwards loop. I am happy to report that this worked much better, and I finished the ribbing without breaking the yarn. I then set out to find a size US 2 needle in a place where there aren't any LYS's and the sizing is metric.
I found a general craft shop in Buderim and the nice man helped me figure out that a 2.75 mm needle is a US 2. The brand is Birch, "A family owned Australian Company" - I'm not pleased with the needle. They're either really nice plastic or so-so coated metal (hard to tell but I'm leaning towards coated metal... can't find it listed anywhere), so for what I paid for them the tips are fine (I really don't like plastic needles but these are fine). The join has such a "bump" that I'm worried I'm going to break the yarn when I lift the stitches over it. The cord part is plastic, and not flexible at all. In all, I bought it because I could afford it and because it was there. If I have time to go into Brisbane next weekend I'm going to see if I can find a better needle.
The hat, however, is coming along slowly but surely, and I am so excited to see how it turns out!