Apparatus and method for knitting a fabric with a lay-in yarn on a circular knitting machine

A set of cam tracks for at least partially counteracting robbing back of a lay-in yarn in a circular knitting machine that includes a plurality of needles and a plurality of sinkers, the set of cam tracks comprising:

• a plurality of needle cam tracks for respectively engaging the needles so that one or more intervening needles of the plurality of needles are positioned between at least a pair of the plurality of needles, and so that during a predetermined period:
• the pair of needles engage and draw down the lay-in yarn and hold portions of the lay-in yarn in a lower position, and
• the one or more intervening needles do not draw down the lay-in yarn to the lower position;
• and
• at least one sinker cam track for selectively engaging and moving the sinkers, so that during the predetermined period, there are one or more intervening sinkers of the plurality of sinkers that are positioned between the pair of needles and are arranged in a forward position, so that a section of the lay-in yarn that spans between the pair of needles is retained over one or more nibs of the one or more intervening sinkers.

A method of knitting a fleece fabric, comprising:

• introducing a lay-in yarn and a jersey yarn into a circular knitting machine;
• forming a base fabric structure from the jersey yarn by operating at least some of a plurality of needles and a plurality of sinkers of the machine;
• and
• causing portions of the lay-in yarn to extending above a face of the base fabric structure so as to define floating portions of the lay-in yarn, including:
• operating at least a pair of the plurality of needles to engage, draw down, and hold portions of the lay-in yarn in a lower position during a predetermined period,
• operating one or more intervening needles of the plurality of needles such that the one or more intervening needles do not hold the lay-in yarn in the lower position during the predetermined period, with the one or more intervening needles being positioned between the pair of needles;
• and
• arranging one or more intervening sinkers of the sinkers in a forward position during the predetermined period, with the one or more intervening sinkers being positioned between the pair of needles, so that a section of the lay-in yarn that spans between the pair of needles is retained over one or more nibs of the one or more intervening sinkers, so as to at least partially counteract robbing back of the lay-in yarn.