comparable to a woven fabric formed on a shuttle loom or the like without any pattern effect while the fabric indicated in zone c represents the same arrangement as that of zone b with the addition of transverse weft yarns 7 which increases the stiffness of the fabric by varying the needle selection pattern effects can be obtained which are similar to those provided by a conventional shuttle loom for example fish bone or diagonal pattern effects in fig2 to 7 there is shown in a simplified and schematic manner a knitting machine having means for forming such a fabric the machine comprises needles 10 which cooperate with jacks 12 the needles and jacks slide in tricks of a bed or cylinder 13 or other like member the needles are raised and lowered by means of cam profiles 14 and 16 respectively which act on butts 10a of the needles while the needle selection is obtained by means of the butts of jacks 12 with per se known arrangements and with the aid of cam profiles 18 for lifting the butts and cam profiles 20 for subsequently lowering the butts as can be seen in fig2 the cam 18 determines in correspondence of each yarn feed and in advance thereof the partial lifting of.