P4, *M1,p5*

Using the above instructions and watching your M1 videos, do I knit into the back of the newly made stitch, or purl? Video shows knitting which seems reasonable, but since all the other stitches are purl, I thought I might have to purl. Since purling is a forward stitch though, don’t know how I’d purl into the back.

My instructions say to “work” into the back of the stitch.

Thanks for any help!

You won’t work the new stitch until the next row, but since this row seems to be a purl row, do a m1 purlwise. To do the m1 you can lift the yarn strand with the left needle from back to front, then purl into the front leg (which is on the left side of the loop) and that will twist it too.

The specific instructions for M1 state: "Pick up horizontal strand of yarn lying between st just worked and next st with the left hand needle from front, then work into back of it."
So I have to lift yarn from front to back, not back to front, and the “work into the back of it” is what I’m questioning. Do I purl or knit into the back of it and how is a purl even possible?

Yes I know it says that, but sometimes there’s more than one way of doing things. Look on the glossary page for ptbl video; it’s tricky, though not too bad if you pick it up from front to back. That’s why I was suggesting picking up the yarn from back to front though and that way you can purl into the front loop, not the back. It will still twist the stitch which is what you need to do for this kind of increase. You can also use a backwards loop for a m1, you just wrap the yarn around the needle and don’t work it until the next row.

Thanks so much!! I’ll give it a try.

Another increase you might want to look at is the Knit Left (or Right) Loop. It’s on the increases video page. I’ve also seen it called a lifted increase. I’ve used it instead of M1 sometimes because it’s easier and in some applications I can’t tell it makes any difference.