Knitting machine, particularly with a high gauge

A knitting machine comprising:

• a needle holder;
• a plurality of needles each extending along a longitude axis and actuatable with an alternating motion along the axis;
• and
• means for guiding said needles on said needle holder,
• wherein each needle is actuatable with an alternating motion along the axis of each needle with respect to said needle holder with an extraction motion, which extraction motion allows the needle to be extracted with a tip and a portion of a shank of the needle from an end of the needle holder to drop, onto the shank, the previously formed loop of knitting and/or to pick up the yarn or yarns dispensed at a feed or drop of the machine, and
• wherein each needle is actuatable with an alternating motion along the axis with respect to said needle holder with a retracting motion, which retracting motion allows the needle to be made to retract with the tip into said end of the needle holder to form a new loop of knitting, thereby performing knockover of the loop of knitting formed previously to produce knitting,
• said guiding means comprising:
• channels for forming knitting located on said needle holder proximate to said end of the needle holder;
• and
• sliding channels defined on said needle holder in a region that is spaced from said end of the needle holder,
• wherein each channel for forming knitting is engageable by a needle and has an inlet directed toward the outside of said needle holder, wherein the channel defines through the inlet resting contact regions for the knitting during the retracting motion of the needles,
• wherein the number of said sliding channels is smaller than the number of said channels for forming knitting.