Knitting from a chart -- tips?

I would love tips on successfully knitting from a chart.

My biggest problem is that I simply lose my place horizontally. For example, say part of the chart has K2tog followed by a Yarn over 8 times in a row. I can't not for the life of me remember where I am. (Was I on the 3rd YO or the 4th???) I have to keep counting it over and over. It's worse if it's something like 8 knits in a row, where there's not even variety to serve as a visual marker.

Part of the problem, I'm sure, is I really have to look at my knitting. I can not knit by feel. So I keep looking back and forth between the chart and lose my place over and over over ...

Tips, please? There's a lot of great patterns that are only charted. And so many people love charts, I feel like I'm missing out.