Many knitters admit they have a list of patterns longer than the time they have to complete them. With books and magazines coming out all the time, with new patterns to tempt us, the list grows even longer. Then there are the patterns we've completed and don't want to get rid of. What do you do with all of them?

If you'd like to keep track of patterns, a little organization will help. This isn't something that requires a lot of money or space, either, so most of us should easily be able to accomplish this.

Pads of sticky notes are good for marking patterns you'd like to come back to when you first go through a book or magazine. You can jot down notes on these slips of paper, including yarn featured (versus any substitutions you may want to use), suggested needle size, gauge, etc.

Two items you may consider purchasing are a 3-ring binder and plastic sheet protectors, available in many places: drugstores, five-and-dimes, office supply stores, etc. Try and get one that has pockets. When you find a pattern you like, make a photocopy of it (and please remember copyright rules: you may only copy the pattern for your own, non-commercial use) and slide it into a plastic sleeve. This way, it stays clean and wrinkle-free. You can also use a dry-erase marker to make notes on the plastic, which will wipe off later. You can then slip the pattern into your knitting bag. If you've used the plastic sleeves with holes along the side, all you have to do is clip them into the binder.

You can go a step further and get tabbed dividers and organize your patterns into sections: sweaters, baby, hats, scarves, etc.

Some knitters use journals to keep track of patterns. There are journals that include graph paper or information sheets. You can jot down a favorite person's measurements, flattering colors, and shoe size. You can keep a running list of patterns you'd like to try as well as important information (for example, what publication it's in).

In this high-tech world we live in, there are some knitters who prefer to keep all of this information in gadgets such as Palm Pilots. There's no paper or notebook to keep track of (or lose!) and it's available at the push of a button. This organization system is only as good as not losing the device, so for the knitter who's constantly misplacing things, this might not work as well.

However you choose to keep your patterns, a little planning and organization can go a long way toward freeing up your time for what you most want to do: knit!