Abstract: A knitting technique in which opposed needles reciprocate towards and past one another in a time-varying motion which is at least principally lengthwise of the needle. One needle approaches and picks up a yarn-end from another needle and forms a loop in the yarn and over the one needle while the other needle withdraws. The other needle then approaches in its turn to pick up a yarn-end and form a further loop while the one needle sheds its loop on to the yarn-end now picked up to form the further loop, the cycle continuing to produce a seam of linked loops. Shogging action by needles and/or associated yarn-control elements produces seam interaction to link seams weft-wise as a knitted fabric. More complex interaction produces patterned fabrics and other knits where yarns link across several wales. An apparatus to carry out the technique includes a needle motion drive using linkages to produce a durable and precise drive action.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for transferring knitted fabric from needles of a first knitting gauge to needles of a second knitting gauge. A row of parallel, elongate points are provided each being arranged parallel to one another and secured at each end to a movable frame. The bands pass through respective slots in two trick bars with the points being located between the two bars so that movement of the bands in unison carries the points from one trick bar to the other. If the slots in the respective trick bars are at the two selected knitting gauge then passage of the bands through the slots adjusts the spacing of the points from one gauge to the other.