Next, stitch markers are your best friend when doing patterns such as mine where there are definite design sections. When you start your design rows, if you put a marker at the beginning and end of each design, you don’t have to count the background stitches in between the markers (assuming the in between stitches are stockinette or garter pattern). I have even put markers for the border stitches. On one pattern with an eyelet border, I kept missing the first stitch of the border at the end of the row, so after a few rip outs (see above), I put a marker at the beginning of the border. It was only for 4 stitches, but it ended the rip outs.