BellaOnline Forums Hobbies and Crafts Knitting M1

I feel like an idiot asking this questions after making I don't know how many projects over the past 8 years. Whenever a pattern says M1, I pull up a stitch from the horizontal yarn between the stitch I just knitted and the next one on my needle. However, my project ends up with a hole there. More of a gap, really. I am left-handed and don't know if that has anything to do with it, but does this happen to anyone else? Am I doing it wrong?

Yes, that increase will leave a hole. M1 is taking the loop as you have, but knit through the back of the stitch. This should not leave a hole, see this article Increases and this article more increasesfor more increase choices.

thanks for those articles. That is a big help.

Do you have a good knitting reference book? I have a couple I really recommend and they are often easier to use than the internet. My two favorites are The Knitters Companion -by Vicki Square and published by Interweave press (which fits in your knitting bag) and Vogue Knitting's Ultimate Knitting book.