Yarn Overs and counting stitches, a public service announcement.
OK, I can't tell how many times we've managed to decipher this problem in the last month, but it's always buried down in the comments, so I think it needs to be a post on its own.
The YO is just the action of making a loop of yarn around the needle between two stitches (rather than through a stitch as is the usual way). It is not "bring the yarn to the front and then knit the next stitch," no matter what Stitch 'n Bitch says. If the stitch after the YO is intended to be a knit stitch, then yes, that is how you do a yarn over, counting that knit stitch as the first knit stitch of the following instructions. Examples:
k3, yo, k2tog will only use up five existing stitches on your left needle and you will end up with five stitches on your right needle. You'll knit 3 stitches, bring the yarn to the front, and then knit the two following stitches together.
k2tog, yo, k3 will also use up and create exactly five stitches; you'll knit 2 together, bring the yarn to the front, then knit 3 stitches.
p2tog, yo, p3 again, five stitches. Purl two together, take the yarn to the back over the top of the needle and then bring it back to the front between the needles (for a complete wrap of the right needle) and then purl the following three stitches. Not a knit stitch to be found.
(edited to add: I originaly described it as "making a stitch out of nothing," which I agree wasn't very well put. I hope the new wording is more helpful)
The YO is just the action of making a loop of yarn around the needle between two stitches (rather than through a stitch as is the usual way). It is not "bring the yarn to the front and then knit the next stitch," no matter what Stitch 'n Bitch says. If the stitch after the YO is intended to be a knit stitch, then yes, that is how you do a yarn over, counting that knit stitch as the first knit stitch of the following instructions. Examples:
k3, yo, k2tog will only use up five existing stitches on your left needle and you will end up with five stitches on your right needle. You'll knit 3 stitches, bring the yarn to the front, and then knit the two following stitches together.
k2tog, yo, k3 will also use up and create exactly five stitches; you'll knit 2 together, bring the yarn to the front, then knit 3 stitches.
p2tog, yo, p3 again, five stitches. Purl two together, take the yarn to the back over the top of the needle and then bring it back to the front between the needles (for a complete wrap of the right needle) and then purl the following three stitches. Not a knit stitch to be found.
(edited to add: I originaly described it as "making a stitch out of nothing," which I agree wasn't very well put. I hope the new wording is more helpful)