Abstract: The fabric is withdrawn from the needle cylinder of the knitting machine and is flattened so that the present fabric severing device can periodically sever a predetermined length of the fabric in a transverse direction while the fabric is being produced by the knitting machine. The fabirc severing device includes a hot wire positioned below fabric tensioning rolls of the knitting machine. The hot wire is normally maintained out of the path of travel of the flattened fabric and horizontal movement is applied to the hot wire to move the hot wire against and through the flattened fabric and thereby transversely sever a length of the fabric. A pneumatic transport system is provided for removing the severed length of fabric from a position beneath the hot wire cutting device and transporting the severed length of fabric to a location spaced from the knitting machine.