M1/inc

Hi, I’m new to knitting so please forgive if this is a daft question. Is inc 1 the same as M1 please? Is it stitched the same way? Getting in such a muddle!!

Hello
No question is daft here, if it helps with your knitting then just ask away!

Yes, a M1 is a type of increase. Depending what you’re making and what your pattern specifies it may, or may not, be the type you need.
What is the name of the pattern?
What are the exact words for this row/round?
And is there a key somewhere in your pattern which specifies what the abbreviations mean or a note about which type of increase to use?

And welcome to your new knitting hobby and the forum!

Many thanks for your kind reply.
I’m knitting a Wendy pattern with super chunky, says it’s an “easy knit”! I’m sure it is really.
It tells me to inc1 st at each end of a row which I’ve tried but am finding I’m left with a hole. I’m doing the sleeve. I’ve tried doing the backwards loop.

If you know how to work a M1 increase (lifting the strand between the stitches) then this would work. You can try it one stitch in from the edge if you’re making something in plain stockinette where moving it a stitch in from the edge won’t interrupt your pattern and this leaves a neater edge for seaming later.
There’s also a yarn over increase, much like the M1 but you make a yarn over on the row then work into it on the next row, this gives the increase a little more yarn and can sometimes make it neater if you’re getting holes.
Both the M1 and the yarn over increase can be mirrored so they look even neater near your seam.

Depending on how much you want to learn in one go or how much you know now, you could also do a KFB (knit into the front and then the back of the same stitch) which is probably a bit easier but isn’t quite so neat, when I started out I used it for increases and I think it was acceptable to me, I did them right on the edge stitch so it was likely hidden by the seaming anyway.

There are lots of tutorials for different types of increase too, do you need some help finding one?

There’s actually a neater way to work a Kfb. It’s a very handy increase anytime a pattern asks for an increase without specifying which one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCXRl3urNXU

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Usually the pattern specifies, especially if it’s more involved as some increases aren’t easily interchangeable because of stitch counts. If there’s no indication, you could probably just use either, however.

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That’s very helpful, thank you, I shall try the KFB ( on a practice piece 1st!!)

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Thank you, I shall study this stitch

No, there’s no indication on the pattern. Thank you for your reply. Am hoping to join a local knitting group next month so will hopefully gain more help there too.

That link is great, thanks, I’ve never come across it before. Always so much more so learn!

Ooh, that’s a good trick! Hope I remember it next time it comes up in a pattern.

Wouldn’t a yarn over create a largeish hole? Or do you work through the back on the next row?

Yes into the back loop like a M1 would be, it is the same as lifting the strand but just with more yarn in the strand. I know it was a good method for me on a few tops but maybe it depends on the type of yarn too. In the method I used (roxanne richardson tutorial) the yarn overs are performed in a particular direction depending on left or right leaning.

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I like this, it’s easy to work but I find the knit part of the stitch to be a bit loose when finished, even giving the yarn a good tug doesn’t seem to fix it. I’ve just tried a right leaning version and it’s really tight, not just in the finish but also to work - slip the back, swing the needle forward and knit the front. I don’t think I’d use them if I needed definite left and right leaners.

My favorite increases are the right and left lifted increases. Definite tilt and nice flow with the stitch patterns.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqvh3wP3eaw
(see 3:30min in the video)

I love that our preferences are varied. My fave is Creations way, M1L and M1R and like Creations, the bar I use is elongated with a YO or BYO on previous row. The M1L is worked through the back. I find without the YOs, the work contracts a little, the YOs tend to give a little wiggle room. I used lifted increases for a while but can’t quite remember why I changed. Perhaps I had no cake, hmmph

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