of the usual drive speed so that the weft threads are knotted into every second third or the like stitch row by means of appropriate adjustment of the control arrangement it is also possible to work with intermediate values of the speed and then for example provide for different separations between subsequent weft threads in the embodiment of fig5 the speed of forwarders 7 is unchanged 1 3 of the usual speed the pattern chain 46 controls the weft thread providers so that at the third sixth tenth twelfth fifteenth and eighteenth needle cycle a weft thread presentation movement occurs in a similar manner pattern chain 63 controls weft thread deflector 60 so that only at the named needle cycles is the deflector 60 lowered to the inoperative position shown by solid lines there is thus provided a pattern repeat in which the number of the weft thread free stitch rows follows the pattern 2 2 3 1 2 2 this basically requires delaying presentment of a weft thread at the ninth cycle to this end deflector 60 remains raised and presenter 43 is not activated so that no weft thread is laid in during this ninth cycle in the tenth cycle however chain 63 causes deflector 60 to descend and chain 46 activates presenter 43 to carry a weft thread into the vicinity of needles 3 again deflector 60 and presenter 43 are operated to present weft threads 42 only at the rows specified above there is another possibility wherein the control arrangement 44 relies primarily on the weft thread deflector 60 which can be similarly activated.