r i and r ii as a result of the above it is possible to spread the pile on the backside stitches so as to form any fancy design one wishes by suitably arranging the needles and the sliding members and controlling the operation thereof said designs can be set all over the height of the fabric and be combined with jacquard or links links patterns obtainable on the rightside stitches by using known systems in an improved knitting machine according to the invention sliding members 1 are operated via butts 3 as obvious to the skilled person by an independent system which is perfectly analogous to that commonly used for operating the needles as an alternative the stitch transfer system available on the machine can be used sliding members 1 besides replacing respective needles in the needlebed which is opposite to that forming the base of the corresponding stitches as in the above described embodiment can be associated to such needles sliding side by side thereto in the same grooves or in supplementary ones formed between the needles in this case obviously when a needle operates the adjacent sliding member shall be in a non working condition conversely when a sliding member 1 operates on.