Abstract: In a process for knitting a weft-knitted fabric (T) by means of mutually opposite needlebeds comprising axially slidable needles, the needles being operated in correspondence to a yarn feed, said yarn consisting in a base thread (FF) and a pile thread (Fp) mutually coupled, for stitches in correspondence with which pile has to be formed, when the needle is engaging the yarn, the pile thread (Fp) is separated from said base thread (FF) and retained so that a bridle (B) is formed on the backside between the new stitch and the previous stitch of the same rank (R), while the base thread (FF) forms a normal backside stitch lower loop. The bridle (B) is subsequently cut in order to obtain the cut pile, as the fabric under formation progressively moves down. The invention also relates to a knitting machine specifically designed and built for carrying out the process and to a knitted fabric obtainable with such process and machine.