Struggling with non-wool fiber

The Essential Tee is kicking my butt, right from the get-go. The one-step provisional cast-on is new-to-me, and now (12 rows in) creating the bottom hem is a bit of a puzzlement. Also, I'm not used to working with non-wool fiber like the linen-cotton blend that Oleander is. The project is on pause while I suss out some solutions.

I did knit a swatch, but I'm not sure how helpful it is - knitting a square swatch means knit a row and purl a row while knitting in the round is all knit - other than showing me what the fabric is like and how much it will shrink.

The yarn is a bit splitty plus totally non-springy, and stitches fall off the metal needles very easily. I may switch to bamboo-tipped circular needles (which I would have to purchase). One thing I am definitely going to do is take some leftover sock yarn and practice the new techniques a bit so that I am more satisfied with the results.

Knitting: When frustrated with the Essential Tee (see above), I work on socks.
Spinning: I'm back at the wheel, back to the Romney.

I've been procrastinating on warping the 24" rigid heddle loom because the project I've chosen for it has 250 double-warp (500!) ends. But now that the bobbin winder insert has arrived, I have no more excuses. All I need is time and patience.