How to Keep Track of Your Knitting Projects

People often ask me, “When do you even find time to knit?” The truth is, if I’m sitting down, I’m probably knitting — while I wait for my kids to finish a guitar lesson or sports practice, over a cup of coffee at a café, even during a meeting (yes, in Norway, we really do that), or in front of the TV in the evening. I usually have at least three projects going at once, each one earning its spot for a different reason: one that’s quick and mindless for those five-minute windows, one more advanced that demands real focus, and one I started a while ago and set aside out of frustration — for long enough now that I’ve half-forgotten why.

Multiple projects isn’t a problem — it’s a strategy

There’s a common piece of knitting advice that says finish one thing before you start another. I’ve never managed to follow it, and I don’t think most knitters do. Different projects suit different moments — a five-minute wait at pickup isn’t the time for a complicated cable chart, and a quiet evening on the sofa isn’t really enough for mindless garter stitch. Having a few projects going at once isn’t a lack of discipline. It’s just matching the knitting to the moment you actually have.

What actually gets lost between projects

The real trouble starts when you pick a project back up after a few weeks away. What needle size were you even using? Did you go up a size for gauge, or was that the other project? Which row of the chart are you on, and why does the yarn look different from what you remember buying? None of this is written down anywhere except your own memory — and memory is exactly what fails first when you’re juggling three projects instead of one.

Give every project its own home

This is the part a notebook never quite solves for me, because a notebook doesn’t travel with the yarn and it definitely doesn’t remind you it exists. In Knitkeep, every project gets its own card: a photo so you recognize it at a glance, the pattern it’s from, the needle size and gauge, and a spot for whatever notes actually matter — a yarn substitution, a modification, or just a reminder of why you cast on in the first place.

Planned, Active, Finished — not just a list

Multiple projects only work if you can tell at a glance what’s actually happening with each one. Knitkeep sorts everything into three simple buckets: Planned for what’s queued up and waiting, Active for what’s currently on your needles, and Finished for what’s actually done. You can have nine things planned and still know exactly which three you’re Active on this week — the list does the remembering so you don’t have to.

The one you set aside isn’t lost either

Remember that project from the beginning — the one that caused some frustration and got put down for a while? That’s not a failure, it’s just a project waiting for its moment. Because it’s still sitting there in Knitkeep with its pattern, its notes, and a photo of exactly how far you got, picking it back up doesn’t mean starting over. You can see precisely where you left off and why, and decide from there whether to finish it, modify it, or finally let it go — instead of losing it to the back of a drawer.

Quick answers

How many projects can I actually track at once?
As many as you’re realistically knitting — Knitkeep doesn’t cap it. Most people have a handful Active and a longer list Planned for whenever the mood strikes.

Do I need to finish one project before starting a new one?
No. Multiple projects at different stages is normal knitting, not a problem to fix. Start the new one — Knitkeep just makes sure the others don’t get lost while you do.

Can I keep notes like needle size and gauge with each project?
Yes — every project has a spot for exactly that, plus the pattern, size, and any modifications, so you’re never trying to reconstruct it from memory.

The projects that get lost usually aren’t abandoned on purpose — they just don’t have a home to come back to. Give each one a name, a note, and a place to live, and even the one you set aside in frustration is still there waiting, not gone. Start at Knitkeep.