number of jack accommodating uniformly spaced slots as suggested in fig2 and 3 which are equally spaced as the cylinder slots the cylinder and pattern wheel slots form a plurality of slot groups corresponding slot groups on the cylinder 12 and pattern wheels normally continuing to register with each other with relative movements between the cylinder and the pattern wheels referring to fig2 it will be assumed that the cylinder slots 12a are even slots of the cylinder while the slots 12b are the odd cylinder slots under these circumstances high butt needles are shown disposed within the even cylinder slots and low butt needles in the odd cylinder slots looking at a single pattern wheel 28 in fig2 slots 28a are shown to be filled with jacks which are designated by the letter 34 j 34 the pattern wheel slots 28b being shown to be empty for purposes of the discussion the pattern wheel slots 28a will also be designated as being even slots of the pattern wheel and the slots 28b as the odd slots in one important operating condition of the knitting machine in accordance with the present invention the even cylinder slots remain aligned with the even slots of the pattern wheel and the same applies for the odd slots of the cylinder and pattern wheel during the continued operation of the knitting machine under these circumstances there is no relative shift of the pattern wheels relative to the cylinder upon the completion of each revolution when the jacks 34 j 34 are programmed or arranged in the pattern wheel 28 to provide a predetermined pattern or design the pattern will be knitted by the actuation of the high butt needles 12a with the jacks 34 j 34 during each revolution.