Abstract: A circular knitting machine has at least one needle carrier, and a plurality of slide needles having a head portion with a head and a slide portion with a tip. Sinkers cooperate with the slide needles, a plurality of knitting systems are arranged along the needle carrier, and a control is provided at the knitting systems for causing relative movements of the needle portions, the slide portions, and the sinkers for performing knitting, tacking and running-through operations. The control includes at each of the knitting systems a sinker cam curve for controlling the sinkers, a slide portion cam curve for controlling the slide portions, and a head portion cam curve for controlling the head portions. The slide portion cam curves have portions for raising and lowering the slide portions in a same manner irrespective of performance of knitting, tucking, or non-knitting operation of the systems.