It’s no secret that I love these little bulb pins. They are endlessly useful - so much so that I wrote a blog post about them a while ago - read here.

But did you know that you can make use of them as a motivational aid?

Here's a quick tip for keeping track of pattern repeats.

1. Create a chain a bulb pins corresponding to the number of repeats

2. Every time you finish a repeat, remove a pin

3. For added bonus points, clip it to your knitting to mark the repeat

4. When you run out of pins, you've completed all the repeats

Simples! There’s something very satisfying about working your way through the little links - a kind of countdown marker to completion.

This also works for keeping track of increases/decreases or any time you want to make a note of how many times you do a particular thing. I sometimes use it if I need to do a lot of rows or rounds and I don't want to stop to keep counting. I just mark them off every 5 rounds - or whatever is easy to count at a glance.

If you have a favourite use for these little beauties please do let me know.

Oh - and as an aside. I found out today that an alternative name for them is Calabash pins - named after the distinctive gourd. Every day is a school day!