Stitch · Increase · Some experience
Make one left and right (m1l / m1r): increases without holes
Raised increases borrow the horizontal bar between two stitches and turn it into a new stitch with no eyelet. They come in mirrored pairs, and using the pair correctly is what keeps a sleeve seam or a bust dart from leaning.
Published Abbreviation m1l / m1r
- Vknit
- ^decrease
At a glance
- Symbol∧
- Abbreviationm1l / m1r
- TypeStitch
- FamilyIncrease
- LevelSome experience
Working chart
| Step | Round / row | Stitches |
|---|---|---|
| Work to the increase point The bar between two stitches is the raw material. | - | 20 |
| m1l: lift the bar front to back Knit through the back loop; the new stitch leans left. | 3 | 21 |
| m1r: lift the bar back to front Knit through the front loop; the new stitch leans right. | 3 | 22 |
| Check the fabric Hold it to the light: no hole should appear. | 4 | 22 |
| Use m1l and m1r as a pair Mirrored increases either side of a marker keep a sleeve seam straight. | 5 | 24 |
Measurements
| Needle (mm) | Sts / 10 cm | Increase visibility |
|---|---|---|
| 3.25 | 26 | invisible |
| 4.00 | 22 | invisible |
| 4.50 | 20 | faint |
| 5.50 | 16 | faint |
Yarn and yardage
| Yarn weight | Extra yarn per 10 increases | Slant direction |
|---|---|---|
| Fingering (4-ply) | 0.6 m | m1l left / m1r right |
| DK | 0.8 m | m1l left / m1r right |
| Worsted | 1.0 m | m1l left / m1r right |
| Chunky | 1.4 m | m1l left / m1r right |
The bar between stitches
Look at the wrong side of any stocking-stitch fabric and you will see horizontal bars running between the columns - the legs the purl bumps leave behind. A raised increase picks up one of those bars, twists it, and knits it as a stitch.
Because the bar is already part of the fabric, no yarn is added from nowhere and no hole appears. The increase is nearly invisible in anything finer than worsted.
Left-leaning and right-leaning
m1l: insert the left needle under the bar from front to back, then knit that loop through the back. The new stitch sits on the left of the bar and the column above it leans left.
m1r: insert the left needle under the bar from back to front, then knit through the front. The stitch leans right. Both add exactly one stitch; the only difference is which way the column tips.
Why the pair matters
On a top-down sleeve you increase two stitches per increase round, one either side of a marker. Use m1l on one side and m1r on the other, with the slants pointing away from the marker, and the two increases form a clean V that reads as a seam.
Use the same increase on both sides and the sleeve seam curves gently sideways over 40 cm of sleeve - not a fit problem, but obvious on a plain garment where nothing else distracts the eye.
Choosing between raised and yarn-over increases
Raised increases are the default for shaping in stocking stitch: yokes, sleeves, sweater side seams, hat crowns. Yarn overs are for lace, where the hole is intended, and for the decorative increase lines seen on shawls.
One practical difference: a raised increase adds about 0.6-1.4 m of yarn per ten increases depending on weight, which is negligible, but it also adds a stitch that behaves exactly like its neighbours. A yarn over sits looser and can leave a slack column if the fabric is blocked hard.