Method and apparatus for transferring a loop from a selected needle to an adjacent needle for creating a decorative open-work pattern

An apparatus for creating an opening in knitted fabric articles, comprising:

• (a) a tubular knitting machine having a plurality of needles mounted in axial needle slots in a needle cylinder, said needles having a hook formed in a top end of a needle shank and a latch pivotally mounted on the needle shank below the hook for opening and closing the hook, and including deflector means for deflecting a loop of yarn being formed by a needle into the vertical plane of an adjacent needle;
• (b) needle selection means for selecting a needle from which a loop is to be transferred;
• (c) loop enlarging means cooperating with the selected needle for deflecting the loop out of the vertical plane of the selected needle laterally into the vertical plane of an adjacent needle while the adjacent needle is in a lowered, non-interfering position relative to the deflected loop and an immediately adjacent sinker;
• (d) needle insertion means for moving an adjacent needle upwardly for insertion into the enlarged loop;
• and
• (e) selected needle removal means for removing the selected needle from the deflected loop after the loop has been transferred to the adjacent needle, whereby the loop is transferred to the adjacent needle and an opening is present in the fabric in the position of the selected needle.