Gather (knitting)


In knitting, a gather draws stitches closer together within a row of knitting. Common methods include:
In the sewing technique ruching, a large number of increases are introduced in one row, which are then removed by decreases a few rows later. This produces many small vertical ripples or "ruches" in the fabric, effectively little pleats. The technique of shirring produces a similar effect by gathering the fabric in two parallel rows, usually by smocking.