Thanks for the heads-up on the two-skein method, DK.

SotS Fearless Leader (aka Nautical Knitter) has thrown a curve ball: start with both ends of the skein for cast-on, working two points simultaneously. I have no problem trying that, except the other end of my skein is 1500 yards and two days' worth of winding in the center of a hand-wound ball. I'm about as likely to unwind that ball to find the center as a sat-down mule is likely to up and plow a field.

Incidentally, if you are stuck with a sat-down mule and need it to plow said field, I recommend trying a parade. Mules love parades. I have never seen a mule sit down in the middle of the Mule Day Parade in Columbia, Tennessee (and yes, I have watched said parade). No, those mules step right along. That's where they get the phrase, "A mule on parade is worth two in the field, plus it works harder after a little vacation." If you have never attended Mule Day, you really ought to go sometime. It's highly a-mules-ing. I'd like to go back, but there was an incident involving my criticism of James K. Polk's foreign policy and the residents of Columbia politely but firmly asking me to leave town which I'd really rather not go into further detail about at present.

Back to the Stole. I know the instructions say, "DO NOT PANIC," but when I first read them, I couldn't find my towel. Panic ensued. Turns out it was in the wash--an accident, I swear ("it" being my towel, not the panic. It is well-documented that panic has a constitutional aversion to washing machines). After reclaiming my towel from the swooshy spinning menace and its threat of certain cleaning, I was able to sit down and give the instructions a thorough reading. I think I have come up with a solution, so all is froody again.

The green ball took up knitting after The Rolling Stones
rejected it as their intergalactic mascot.

The only reasonable solution I can think of is to knit one point (say, the left?) and break yarn, place the stitches on a holder, then knit the right point and sew 'em--or whatever it is we're supposed to do with 'em--together later.

I wanted a lace-knitting adventure, and now I have one.