one another in the region of the knee cloth strip 70 is preferably formed with a braided texture since this has been found to best control the downward movement of thread between segments 80 and 82 during the operation of the machine as described hereinafter takeup member 46 and actuating mechanism therefor correspond to like functioning mechanism shown and described in u s pat no 4 263 859 mentioned hereinbefore as shown the takeup member 46 brackets strip 70 and is affixed to a stub arm 96 extending from one end of a link 98 which has its other end pivotally connected to crank 22 a link 100 pivotally connects at one end to the link 98 as shown and pivotally connects at the opposite end to a fixed member 102 rotation of the arm shaft 20 results in link 98 being driven by crank 22 and the link 98 guided in its motion by the link 100 imparts reciprocatory updown motion to takeup member 46 along looped strip 70 in timed relationship to the operation of needle 28 and looptaker 30 the takeup member 46 includes thread carrying arms 104 and 106 which extend past the thread entering and thread exiting sides respectively of looped strip 70 and interconnect at 108 across the front of the strip the arms 104 and 106 are angled to define thread carrying troughs 109 and 110 between diverging portions during the operation of the machine takeup member.