Writing in Bites

I like to write stories all at once. Not in one day or one sitting, obviously, but with continuity. Maybe that's why Nanowrimo works so well for me. After all, writing a book all in one month is a short enough time, right?
The problem I have faced this year is that I haven't been able to do that like I wanted. Instead, I've written a chapter or two here. And another there. And then it sits for a while as I work on something else. And then, when I go back to work on it again, I can't remember everything I actually wrote before so I have to read it all again before I can actually do any writing.
While this probably helps me polish things up as I go, it's not conducive to quickly getting words on the page. And it frustrates me to write in bites.

Right now, I'm talking about my Christmas novella for the collection releasing next October. I only need about three more chapters, but because I haven't worked on it in a few months, I need to go back and read the other seven chapters I already wrote here and there earlier this year. Even though I really just want to write.
It's not that I can't go back and re-read it. After all, novellas aren't terribly long. But it's frustrating to have to stop and go back to confirm you put something in particular in your story before being able to move ahead. At least for me. 
Other projects in my life, be they quilts or crochet or painting or something else, they don't have that issue. I can set them aside and finish them later (as long as the person I'm making the project for doesn't outgrow it in the meantime, of course). I don't have to go back and go through all the previous steps again before I can move on.
But writing ... I guess it's the only kind of marathon I like to do. I'd rather write the whole thing in a shorter time than having a sprint here or there to finish each section. My plan for next year is to take a bit more time to be able to finish writing projects all in one time period instead of spreading it across the whole year. Think I'll be able to?
What about you? Do you find yourself starting a project and then being interrupted and having to go back and finish it later?