Abstract: A hand knitting machine having a needle bed, a series of sinkers extending from the front edge of the needle bed, a series of corresponding number of latch needles alternated with the sinkers, an actuator movably supported on the needle bed, and needle selecting means. The needle selecting means has a central sinker on the actuator and at either side of the sinker a selecting cam having a duplicatedly inclined acting cam face inwardly backwardly of the actuator. The needle selecting means further has a control means to selectively restrain the needles from being subject to the selecting cam, whereby all the needle are divided into two groups each time the actuator travels in either direction on the needle bed.