Yarn-overs vs. Make-ones

So here I am - trying to write my KNIT TIP of a DAY and I found out that it is merely impossible to fit all the info into a small space on the right bar. So I have decided to make a post on its own about it.

HOW TO READ A KNITTING PATTERN? (Part 5)

YO vs M1.

So what is the difference? OK, here is the scoop.

YO – yarn-overs are mostly used for open (lace) work. Mostly they are used in conjunction with knit- togethers to preserve the same number of stitches in your piece. For example, k1, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo. - here you started with 6 stitches, after working one ssk and one k2tog, you have decreased by 2 sts; therefore there are 2 yo’s to replace the decreases, and at the end of row, you have 6 stitches again. The “holes” YO’s leave are desirable and used as a design (decorative) element. On the following row you purl or knit the YO stitch in the same fashion as any other stitch.

M1 – make 1 is usually used to increase the number of stitches in you work. There are few different ways you can work M1 in your project (I will post about that at later date). But why YO’s and M1’s are often confused is because one of the ways you can “make 1” (M1) is that you work YO in first row, and on the following row you purl or knit (as of pattern) through back of the loop to twist the stitch and prevent a “hole” from happening. With “make – 1`s” the holes are not desirable.

If you have any more questions about that , please leave me a comment here and I will try to help you if I can.