This is another gorgeous stitch and it’s used in a lot of Estonian Lace patterns. Give it a try!
It’s not that hard with our step-by-step tutorial.
A few notes on the Gathered Stitch
- The gathered stitch is a form of decrease that allows you to take a certain number of stitches and decrease them to 1.
- It’s useful for closing up holes created when decreasing on hats, bags and mittens.
- The Gathered stitch can also be used to create stitches such as a Gathered Star Stitch.
- It’s important to mention that you need a crochet hook to work this stitch. The exact size isn’t important, but it should work well with your yarn. I recommend choosing a hook that’s a bit smaller than your needle size just to make it easier to get the hook into the stitches.
How to Work a Gathered Stitch
For the purposes of this tutorial we are going to do a Gathered 3 stitch. As always, follow the instructions contained in your pattern.
Step 1: You will begin by inserting your crochet hook through the back loop of the next 3 stitches on your left needle (the hook will go from the right to the left through all the stitches).
You now have 3 loops on your hook.
Step 2: Yarn over the hook and pull that loop through all 3 stitches.
You will end up with 1 stitch on the hook, gathering your 3 stitches to create one.
Step 3: Place that loop on the knitting needle.
If you are gathering 4 or 5 stitches, the method will be the same. In Step 1, you will insert your needles into the back of 4 or 5 stitches, yarn over and pull that loop through the stitches. You will end up with 1 stitch on your needle.
Here’s what the Gathered Stitch looks like after knitting a few plain rows. Note that we did a YO both before and after the stitch so the stitch count remained the same.
About the Instructor: Andi Gallegos
Andi Gallegos- aka Mysistersknitter on Ravelry- learned to first crochet more than 20 years ago from a coworker, while looking for a way to occupy herself during downtime at a call center job. A couple of years later after many attempts to teach herself to knit from books, she found a video that taught kids to knit and it suddenly clicked. Nowadays it is rare for a day to go by without at least one stitch being knit.
At that time living and knitting in sunny Arizona didn’t warrant a large knitting community, so Andi started a blog called My Sister’s Knitter as a way to connect with other knitters.
Andi believes that if everyone knit or crocheted the world would be a kindler, gentler place.
About the Instructor: Jody Richards
Jody loves pouring over stitch dictionaries and trying out new stitches. And while she likes all things crafting (well ok, except that one thing), yarn crafts are her true love (and she has the stash to prove it).
She’s a serial starter-of-projects and has a serious problem with finishing things without a deadline.
And don’t get her talking about hand-dyed yarns. You’ve been warned.
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