I think getting the hang of managing the needle with a thimble and thumb is going to be the hardest part for me.
I really like the thimble - I've tried at least twenty different kinds of thimbles trying to find ones that fit and stay on and these do both, so I was happy about that. I'm probably going to end up using this brand for everything.
I had no idea where to order those rubber thingies or what size to get, (or even what they're called!) so I found a place on eBay that sells one of each size in a sampler for just a few dollars. They look just like the ones that Jean is using in her videos. In case anyone else needs them:
http://cgi.ebay.com/150536537891 :)