list formatting

Writing issues, I tried to create lists with *, # and 1. 2. or even as your GUI suggests 1. 1.

But they are always rendered in one line and multiple * symbols are then pairwise misinterpreted as italic format instruction.

What am I missing?
example1

• item1
• item2
  example2

1. item1
2. item 2
   example3
3. item1
4. item 2

Please have a look at this very writing via edit or at the screenshot