The make 1 in knitting is an increase that adds one new stitch. This is done by lifting a strand of yarn onto the needle and stitching it a little differently than usual. The strand comes from in between two stitches that you already have on your needle.

LEFT KNITTING INCREASE M1, M1L. If your pattern simply tells you to Make 1 (M1), this is the same as M1L. This technique creates an invisible increase that slants to the left (\).

The term tends to be used more in machine knitting patterns than in hand knitting patterns. Fully fashioned increase stitches are usually placed a few stitches in from the edge. These increases become a design element in the garment, so it is important to