I put my knitting down and didnt mark my place on the pattern. How can I look at the piece and tell what row I’m on?
Well, if you’re working in stockinette where you knit one row and purl one row, then the side facing you as you knit will tell you. If the purl bumps are facing then you need to purl. If the flat V’s are facing you, then you need to knit.
You can count rows in stockinette by counting the V’s going up from the cast-on to the needle; or if you’re working in garter (knit every row) then you count each ‘ridge’ as two rows.
Does that cover it?