How to Never Lose your Place when Knitting

Ever picked up a knitting project that you had put down a few weeks ago and been hit by the sudden realisation that you have absolutely no idea where you are up to in the pattern? Panic sets in! Am I partway through the decreases, or did I finish them? Which row of the stitch chart am I up to? Did I change my mind which colour was which on the colourwork?

Losing your place in your knitting pattern can add a level of stress that is not needed for such a relaxing hobby. Personally, I usually can’t face a session of counting out rows (and losing count, then recounting, then getting a different number to the last count, over and over) so the project gets relegated to the naughty corner.

Enter, The Notebook Method

With the Notebook Method:

  1. There is no need to rely on memory – with pattern steps exactly written out and ticked off, you can be sure you know where you are at all times
  2. Confidence that you will have the right number of stitches – by making a note of how many stitches there should be after each decrease or increase section
  3. And it’s rewarding – by ticking off rows each time you complete one, you feel you’re making progress towards your knitting goals

What is the Notebook Method?

At the top of the page, write the name of the pattern you are working from, the size you are making, and then the section you are starting.

It sounds simple, but as soon as you have multiple projects on the go it is important to know that you have done 12 rows of rib for your socks and not your jumper.

For the section, write out the instructions and draw some checkboxes to tick off your rows. For example, for a section with instructions like Rib stitch for 12 rounds you can draw 12 squares and check one each round you complete. A nice alternative is to write out the numbers 1 to 12 and cross one out for each row.

And repeat for each new section of the pattern. Now you can see exactly where you are up to in each project you have on your needles.

Stitch Count Magic

Now this is where the method comes into its own. Ever read instructions that go something along the lines of Work 30 rows dec 1 st at neck edge every 5 rows, at same time dec 1 st at raglan edge in every row?

How will you end up with the right number of stitches? The Notebook Method can save you many a headache.

With a pattern section like this, give each row its own checkbox. Indicate where the decreases are, put in the stitch counts and then set off knitting.

This works just as well for increases too!

Dotted paper with the text 40 stitches, dec 1 stitch at neck edge every 5 rows, dec 1 stitch at raglan edge in every row. 10 checkboxes with row counts below.

The Notebook in Action

Like the sound of the method? Grab your nearest notebook and give it a go for your next project.

Personally, I’m a big fan of squared or dotted notebooks. They make it quicker (and neater) to draw out boxes to tick off. I’m working my way through this set from Amazon.

You can customise the method to suit you, creating your own systems to keep track and never lose your place in your knitting project again!

Has the Notebook Method worked for you? What other tools and techniques have you tried to keep track of your pattern progress?

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