Knitting - how do you remember where you are in the pattern?!

[BillyBarryBoo]

I have just started knitting a baby blanket. I'm starting the border with 12 rows of moss stitch (I think!)
KPKP repeat to end for row 1 & 2
PKPK repeat to end for row 3 & 4
Then repeat that 3 times to make 12 rows.

Seems easy. But I cannot remember from one session to the next what row I'm on . I'm actually surprised how bad my memory is!

Any tips?

Google "knitting needle row counter"

I just have a scrap of paper and do a line every time I finish a row so I have a 5 bar gate style tally.

I write the number of rows down on a bit of paper and score through as I finish each row.

Either use a stitch/row counter or keep a tally in a notebook or on the pattern if it's one you've printed out. You can get a stitch/row counter app too.

i write it in a book...

usually do the pattern row number and repeat sections so for your example I'd have

12 rows
1 KPKP
2 PKPK
3 KPKP
4 PKPK

and then I'd have tally marks or ticks or dots to show the rows completed.

Great ideas, thank you

I use a post it note. It keeps my place in the pattern and I can keep my tally on it

I used to use an app on my phone that synced with my ravelry account. You could set repeats, so you could count both rows and repetitions of them automatically which was useful. The app I used isn't available any more, but I'm sure there will be something like it.

The other thing is to get into the habit of reading your knitting. If you can look at it and recognise which are knits and purls you won't need a bit of paper or an app. Remember, a knit stitch creates a bump on the back of the fabric, and a purl on the front. With moss stitch you can use this information to work out where you are, both in rows and in making sure you don't put a stitch wrong without having to think "k, p, k, p" - you'll just look at it and think, "OK, I need to put a bump on the back next" and off you go.

Same as callmecordelia with enough practise and 'reading your knitting' (love that expression) you won't need to write it down for something as simple as moss stitch or stocking stitch but I've been knitting since I was about 6 yrs old (over 50 years let's say🤔😳) and still would write down the rows and cross them off as I did them if I was doing a complex lace or aran type pattern that changed on every row. You never know if you are going to be interrupted so helps to have a method/routine.

@Callmecordelia I will have a good look and try to read it, thank you
@Mossstitch great name 😊

You can but stitch markers really cheaply. They are like little padlocks. For the pattern you describe I would put one on the last stitch of every fourth row.