Increase in stitch, or make one left

[Luciew]

Hi everyone,

I'm working on a fingerless mitt pattern which says 'increase in next stitch'. I did this, but when it came to purling the next row the stitch just sort of fell apart (not a very helpful description!). I had a look at the videos and decided to use make on left, which works, but does seem to leave a small hole. Is it very different to increasing in a stitch? If so, I must be doing it wrong if it causes problems in the next row? I've made a mistake further along in the pattern so I am going to rip now anyway...might as well get get rid of the holes if I can.

I was hoping to finish one glove today but it looks like that won't be happening...

[MrsDavis3]

What kind of increase did you do that fell apart?

a. knit front and back?
b. knit into the running thread below?
c. knit into the back of the stitch of the row below?
d. other?...please name

[Luciew]

Hi Mrs Davis...I knitted the stitch but left it on the needle rather than slipping off, then I knitted into the back of that. I think I must have done something wrong on the last bit...

[suzeeq]

Hm, that's the correct way to do it. Maybe you didn't actually knit into the back of the stitch, though it looked as though you did. This type of increase doesn't come undone on the next row.

[Luciew]

Thanks very much. It looks like I need to practice that one!

[MrsDavis3]

As a beginner, I avoided this kind of increase for a long time because I couldn't do it properly. I had no teacher and no videos to view.

First of all, I knew I was supposed to knit first through the front of the stitch but stop short of slipping it off the needle...I was afraid to do anything! I tried to knit into the back without even pulling the working yarn through to knit through the front! Then I had a hard time figuring out exactly where to bring the right needle through after knitting through the back, when it finally was time to slip things off the left needle; I kept trying to bring it all the way to the front of the left needle, under the knit stitch created when I knitted through the front loop. What a mess! It took a lot of trial and error, because I had no instruction or visual cues.

[cspooks]

For the 'make one left' are you making it out of the yarn between the two stitches? If so, knitting into the back of that stitch helps make the hole practically invisible.

[Luciew]

Yep, knitting the stitch inbetween. Clearly I'm also going wrong with this and increase in stitch! Argh, I'm annoyed with myself for not practicing more, now I have a lot of unravelling to do. Is there a video to increase in stitch on here? I can't see one, but maybe it's going by a different name.
Thanks,
Lucie

[suzeeq]

If you're doing a new technique or stitch, it's a good idea to practice it on scrap yarn first. Here's the link to the videos on different increases - http://knittinghelp.com/videos/increases