of the knitting components of the knitting section 12 therefore if any of the fiber waste drops out of the air stream it will not fall back onto the knitting section 12 also the surrounding relationship of hood 30 to the knitting section 12 particularly if the door or extension 44 is utilized confines the air stream 39 s outward travel and obviates the need for curtains or other partitions between adjacent knitting machines the frusto conical shape of hood 30 confines and deflects the upwardly flowing air stream directly into suction fan housing 28 and past suction fan 26 an inwardly flowing air stream is created by suction fan 26 assisted by blowers 54 56 this inwardly flowing air stream removes dust and other fiber waste from the yarn feeding and guiding means 22 and other associated machine components because the yarn feeding and guiding means 22 are located radially outwardly of the knitting section 12 the inwardly moving air stream takes the entrained dust and other fiber waste away from these knitting machine components the hood 30 protects the knitting section 12 from any dust or other fiber waste that may drop from the inwardly flowing air stream the inwardly flowing air stream enters the open bottom of suction fan housing 28 between such housing and the hood 30 and merges with the upwardly flowing air stream from the hood 30 the merged air streams then pass through the duct 58 and into the waste collection means 60 the air escapes from.