If the pattern is from a book or magazine, make a working copy. Itโll be easier to travel with and you can make notes on it of any modifications youโre making.
I always make a copy of my work so that I can easily count rows and stitches with little tick marks in the marginsโฆ it works most of the time. When I have to leave my work and I know it will be a while, I pencil in where I left off because my memory is nearly non-existent.