I’m looking at several patterns that I wish to make but there is one instuction that is confusing me. How do you M 1? Can I simply knit into the front and back of the stich creating 2 or is there something special that I should do.
Thanks
Help
Yes, you can simply knit into front and back of the stitch. M1 means “make one (stitch)”.
There are different techniques, if the pattern tells you to M1, you can choose the one you prefer. Take a look at “Increases” in the video section on this site, there you’ll find plenty of different “M1” techniques.
Ok, just wanted to make sure I was intrepreting the pattern correctly. Thank you so much for your help! 
As blueygh2 noted, there are diff ways to achieve M1. Usually the pattern will indicate in its own Glossary, or similar, how they want it done to achieve the best results. (Does your pattern have the info?) If not, then yes, you’ll need to ascertain which version works best in your application.
A m1 increase is between 2 sts though, and doesn’t use a stitch, so that makes it different from kfb. The incs may be in the wrong place if the pattern wants you to do one and you do a different one, so you have to watch that.
the pattern is for a knitted elephant from knit simple magazine. It does not give an specific instructions for for increases of M1. An example of one of the increases is [k3, inc 1 st in next st] 12 times. For that, can I knit into the front and back. That increse occurs in the body of the elephant while knitting in the round.
The M1 in the patter goes:
Row 1: knit
Row 2: purl
Row 3: k1, M1, k10, M1, K1
Row 4: Purl
Row 5: K1, M1, k12, M1, K1
Row 6: Purl
that is the end of the M1 part of the pattern. This part of the pattern is for the ears and are made while knitting flat.
I am really unsure how to M1 and how to do the increases.
Thanks for all your help in advance.
Where it says “inc 1 st in next st” I would do a kfb. M1 is usually made out of a stitch in the row below to make a stitch in your current row (see videos here for a better explanation). I learned a technique for an invisible increase when you are knitting flat and don’t want to make a lumpy mark from a thread here. This is the technique: http://techknitting.blogspot.com/search?q=invisible+increase and this is the particular thread so you can see how (or if) it applies: http://www.knittinghelp.com/forum/showthread.php?t=84319&highlight=invisible+increase
This type of M1 is done where you pick up the yarn between 2 sts and knit it so that there’s a twist in it. The twist will prevent a hole in your work. There’s videos that show it on the Increases page.
For this part
inc 1 st in next st
yes, I’d do KFB.
As for the M1 in the instr you posted, it appears you’ll K1, do the M1 in the strand btwn the that K1 st and the next st (first of the K10). There vids for the M1.