thread that is intended to be subsequently removed in accordance with the invention the separating thread is made of a heat sensitive filament which melts or is destroyed when heat is applied thereby separating the garment portions heated air is directed at an oblique angle to downstream motion of the web and melts the separating thread on the trailing edge of each garment portion application_number US 49497574 A description by means of a standard knitting machine not shown a continuous web 10 of garment portions 12 14 and the like have been knitted turning to fig2 garment portion 12 has a downstream or leading edge 16 which is its unfinished edge garment portion 14 has an upstream or trailing edge 18 which is its finished edge that should be free of any residue of separating thread at least one row of separating thread 20 has been knitted between unfinished edge 16 and finished edge 18 there may may be additional rows of separating thread for enlarging the space between edges 16 and 18 for better access to hot air or for other reasons although the more separating thread that is used the more residue that remains after operating upon the web according to the invention the separating thread is formed of a low temperature filament e g low temperature nylon returning to fig1.