Ruching

In knitting, a gather is a generic term for the several methods that draw stitches closer together laterally, i.e., within a row of knitting. Common methods include:

In the sewing technique ruching (pronounced /ˈruːʃɪŋ/, ROO-shing also spelled rouching), 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 (not necessarily horizontal), usually by smocking.

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