A method for producing a knitted article with two leg pieces (3, 5) and a body on a circular knitting machine with at least one circular needle bed (101, A), comprising the following steps: - knitting with continuous motion a first leg piece with a plurality of feeds; - knitting with reciprocating motion a first pocket of fabric with a plurality of feeds, starting from an end row of the first leg piece, said first pocket of fabric forming a first side part of the body; wherein said step of knitting the first pocket of fabric comprises: knitting a first sequence of partial rows with reciprocating motion, starting from the first leg piece, gradually reducing the number of operating needles, thus forming partial rows of gradually decreasing length, up to a group of partial rows of minimal length; knitting a second sequence of partial rows with reciprocating motion, starting from the group of partial rows of minimal length, gradually increasing the number of operating needles, thus forming partial rows of gradually increasing length; - knitting with reciprocating motion a second pocket of fabric with a plurality of feeds, up to a start row of a second leg piece, said second pocket forming a second side part of the body; wherein said step of knitting the second pocket of fabric comprises: knitting a third sequence of partial rows with reciprocating motion, gradually reducing the number of operating needles, thus forming partial rows of gradually decreasing length, up to a group of partial rows of minimal length; knitting a fourth sequence of partial rows with reciprocating motion, starting from the group of partial rows of minimal length, gradually increasing the number of operating needles, thus forming partial rows of gradually increasing length; - knitting with continuous motion the second leg piece with a plurality of feeds; wherein during the steps of knitting with reciprocating motion, each time the circular needle bed (101, A) rotates in one direction and each time the circular needle bed rotates in the opposite direction a plurality of rows is formed in a number corresponding to the number of feeds; and wherein, during the step of knitting the first and the second pocket of fabric (17, 19) with reciprocating motion, rows are formed with gradually decreasing and gradually increasing length by controlling the needles so that all the operating needles are unloaded, such that each formed stitch is unloaded from the respective needle and the fabric thus formed has no retained stitches; and wherein, during the formation of the first pocket and of the second pocket of fabric (17, 19) with reciprocating motion, partial rows formed with a rotation of the needle bed (101, A) in one direction and subsequent partial rows formed with a rotation of the needle bed (101, A) in the opposite direction are shifted with respect to each other by a number of stitches. - knitting with continuous motion a first leg piece with a plurality of feeds; - knitting with reciprocating motion a first pocket of fabric with a plurality of feeds, starting from an end row of the first leg piece, said first pocket of fabric forming a first side part of the body; wherein said step of knitting the first pocket of fabric comprises: knitting a first sequence of partial rows with reciprocating motion, starting from the first leg piece, gradually reducing the number of operating needles, thus forming partial rows of gradually decreasing length, up to a group of partial rows of minimal length; knitting a second sequence of partial rows with reciprocating motion, starting from the group of partial rows of minimal length, gradually increasing the number of operating needles, thus forming partial rows of gradually increasing length; knitting a first sequence of partial rows with reciprocating motion, starting from the first leg piece, gradually reducing the number of operating needles, thus forming partial rows of gradually decreasing length, up to a group of partial rows of minimal length; knitting a second sequence of partial rows with reciprocating motion, starting from the group of partial rows of minimal length, gradually increasing the number of operating needles, thus forming partial rows of gradually increasing length; - knitting with reciprocating motion a second pocket of fabric with a plurality of feeds, up to a start row of a second leg piece, said second pocket forming a second side part of the body; wherein said step of knitting the second pocket of fabric comprises: knitting a third sequence of partial rows with reciprocating motion, gradually reducing the number of operating needles, thus forming partial rows of gradually decreasing length, up to a group of partial rows of minimal length; knitting a fourth sequence of partial rows with reciprocating motion, starting from the group of partial rows of minimal length, gradually increasing the number of operating needles, thus forming partial rows of gradually increasing length; knitting a third sequence of partial rows with reciprocating motion, gradually reducing the number of operating needles, thus forming partial rows of gradually decreasing length, up to a group of partial rows of minimal length; knitting a fourth sequence of partial rows with reciprocating motion, starting from the group of partial rows of minimal length, gradually increasing the number of operating needles, thus forming partial rows of gradually increasing length; - knitting with continuous motion the second leg piece with a plurality of feeds;