Okay update I have tried the arrow keys and it is significantly more comfortable to play, thank you so much! I would love a little more precision in the left/right movement, I'm finding that even a short tap will rotate the fabric wider than I'd like. And I'm still having the issue where sometimes the needle will move forward while I'm adjusting the rotation and not hitting the spacebar at all. However!!! I should actually be able to complete the demo now!!
Thank you again!