Although one of my teachers used to always say that ‘no question is stupid if you don’t know the answer’, I’m pretty sure this is a stupid question:
I know how to knit a YO. Heck, I’ve done it mistakenly a dozen times. 
But, when a pattern specifically calls for one, do you knit the stitch? Or is just the act of bringing the yarn around all that’s called for?
MTIA
Your teacher is correct. 
A YO is an increase and it can be knit or purled. Unless the pattern tells you to purl immediately after the YO then you knit it.
For future reference: In the purled version you bring the yarn to the front then back over the needle and to the front again. You do this because the yarn is normally brought to the front so you have to wrap it again to create the YO.
Thanks for the reply. I’m still confused though, so props to the teacher, and let me be more specific:
Is [I]just[/I] the act of bringing the yarn around all that’s called for in a yo? Or do you have to do a complete stitch?
In other words, my whole row is knits and the pattern says: *Ssk, k2, yo, k2, yo, k2, k2tog; rep from * to end of rnd.
So is the yo part of the k2 or a separate stitch?
Hope that makes more sense.
Okay, the YO itself is not created till you knit (or purl) the next stitch. In your pattern you just bring the yarn forward between the needles then knit.
Don’t wrap it all the way around the needle. Doing that creates a double YO which you don’t want for this pattern.
Heh. So I’m 100% clear: 
It’s: YO = do the wrap
Then, k1, which creates the YO + k1 = k2
Rather than: YO, k1
Then, k2
Right?
You’re over thinking this. Just do as the pattern says and when you get to the term YO just bring the yarn forward between the needles. It will automatically “wrap” (if that’s the way you want to think of it) when you do the first knit. Then in your pattern you’ll k1 again and then bring the yarn forward and k2 again.
A YO is just a wrap, the next sts are the next sts. Don’t get into the mindset that a YO is part of the next stitch; it isn’t, it’s just a standalone. I think what is confusing you is Jan saying bring the yarn fwd, then knit the next 2 sts. The yarn can be brought to the front, then taken to the back (that really makes the YO), then do whatever the pattern calls for the next st. It could be k3 or 4, or a decrease or whatever, they’re separate actions.
Think of a YO as an ‘air stitch’; you make it just like a regular knit st except the right needle isn’t inserted into a stitch on the left needle.
I was afraid she’d do the purl YO is why I said it like I did. Maybe the best way is look at the video. It’s at the bottom of this page.
http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/increases
Well, you do a YO between purl sts like a purl st, and one between knit sts like a knit. The ol’ ‘air’ stitch thingy…
Well when a purl follows you have to wrap it around and back through the needles before purling. I know we both know how to do these it’s just a different way of explanation. I hope we aren’t confusing her more. :lol: Just watch the video Lynn and it’ll all make sense.
Yeah, from knit to purl it’s different, but that’s not happening here, so I think we can ignore it for now.
Ok I didnt finish all the replys on your thread and maybe its been cleared up but I know your answer:
You do your YO, knit the next stitch as if no YO was ever created, then knit or purl your YO in the next row.
Does this help?