Patent ID: 7096693

Claim:
A knitting method for knitting a knitted fabric having a half cardigan knitting structure wherein first wale in which knitted loops and tuck loops are formed and second wale in which only the knitted loops are formed are alternately formed with alternate needles of a flat knitting machine comprising at least a pair of front and back needle beds (FB, BB) which are arranged to extend laterally and opposite to each other in a cross direction and between which loops of the knitted fabric are transferred, the method comprising: 1) the first step of supplying the knitted loops of the first wale to one of the needle beds (FB) and supplying the knitted loops of the second wale to the other needle bed (BB) and then transferring the knitted loops of the first wale to confronting empty needles of the other needle bed (BB), 2) the second step of forming the knitted loops of the second wale on the other needle bed (BB), while forming the tuck loops on the needles of the one needle bed (FB) which confront the needles of the other needle bed (BB) hooking the knitted loops of the first wale and also holding the knitting yarn temporarily on at least one of adjoining needles to the needle forming the tuck loop thereon, 3) the third step of releasing the knitting yarn temporarily held on the needles therefrom, 4) the fourth step of transferring the knitted loops of the first wale hooked by the needles of the other needle bed (BB) to the needles of the one needle bed (FB) hooking the tuck loops, 5) the fifth step of forming the loops, following the tuck loops and knitted loops of the first wale hooked by the needles of the one needle bed (FB), and also holding the knitting yarn temporarily on at least one of the adjoining needles to the needle used to form the first wale and then forming the loops of the second wale on the needles of the other needle bed (BB), and 6) the sixth step of releasing the knitting yarn temporarily held on the needles therefrom.