to reduce rubbing and the possibility of snubbing the yarn between the hook 23 and the end of a needle as the yarn feeds into a new loop fig8 shows an alternative form of depressor plate 13 for use particularly when the shaft of the sinker is being used as a depressor bar in operation the needles 2 are secured together by passing retaining bars 3 through holes 10 of the needles and holes 15 of the depressor plates 13 and tightening a nut fixture on one end of each bar 3 the first row of stitches is done without the aid of a sinker in the following manner a slipknot is made over the first needle in the row and the working yarn is wound over the thickened portions of each needle i e the hooks in the form of a loop the loops are then pushed towards the bases 8 of the needles to form a loose ruffle the free end of the yarn which now extends from the end of the needle bed remote from the end having the slipknot is then slid under the plates 13 and over the barbs 9 of the needles in such a way as to bring it around under the barbs and into the needle hooks following this operation the slack in the yarn at the point where it joins the.