I used circular knitting needles.

I used a ribbon yarn made from knitted wool. This made the yarn extra stretchy, so I used 10 fewer stitches on cast on than I would have otherwise.

Mark regular lengths of the yarn, such as an arm’s length. As you knit, use these markings to determine how much yarn you used for the initial rib and 1st row of knit. Find the other end of the yarn and mark the length for about 3 rows of rib and one row of knit.