Disclosed is a stitch-bonded string comprising at least one stitched line extending in a machine direction and fibers emanating from the at least one stitched line. The at least one stitched line comprises a plurality of loops and said plurality of loops enclose substantially all of said fibers. The stitched line is gathered to reduce a dimension of the plurality of loops holding said fibers within the loops. The stitched line's weight is less than 20%, preferably less than 10%, and more preferably less than 5% of the total weight of the stitch-bonded string. The fibers have a basis weight ranging between 30 and 400 grams/meter.sup.2, preferably between 40 and 350 g/m.sup.2, preferably between 50 and 300 g/m.sup.2 or between 100 and 250 g/m.sup.2. Methods for making the string are also disclosed.

A circular knitting machine with a needle cylinder (11), in which cylinder needles (13) are mounted to be longitudinally displaceable, and a dial (12), in which rib dial needles (14) are mounted to be radially displaceable, wherein auxiliary elements (15), in particular sinkers, associated with the cylinder needles (13) and auxiliary elements (16), in particular sinkers, associated with the rib dial needles (14), as well as separate thread feeds to the cylinder needles (13) and to the rib dial needles (16) are provided, wherein separate tubular knits (19, 20) can be produced simultaneously or one after the other with the cylinder needles (13) and with the rib dial needles (14).

A circular knitting machine with a needle cylinder (11), in which cylinder needles (13) are mounted to be longitudinally displaceable, and a dial (12), in which rib dial needles (14) are mounted to be radially displaceable, wherein auxiliary elements (15), in particular sinkers, associated with the cylinder needles (13) and auxiliary elements (16), in particular sinkers, associated with the rib dial needles (14), as well as separate thread feeds to the cylinder needles (13) and to the rib dial needles (16) are provided, wherein separate tubular knits (19, 20) can be produced simultaneously or one after the other with the cylinder needles (13) and with the rib dial needles (14).

A method of making a pile fabric that closely resembles natural sheepskin fleece, that includes forming a yarn made with wool fibers and non-wool fibers and knitting the yarn to form a pile fabric and knitting a scrim to form a base, while simultaneously knitting the yarn and the scrim together, where the yarn is attached to and extends from the scrim to form a length of pile fabric having a fiber side with natural wool fibers and non-wool fibers and the scrim on an opposing side. The method includes finishing the pile fabric as natural sheepskin, including, polishing the fiber side of the pile fabric, and cutting the wool fibers to a designated length.

A method of making a pile fabric that closely resembles natural sheepskin fleece, that includes forming a yarn made with wool fibers and non-wool fibers and knitting the yarn to form a pile fabric and knitting a scrim to form a base, while simultaneously knitting the yarn and the scrim together, where the yarn is attached to and extends from the scrim to form a length of pile fabric having a fiber side with natural wool fibers and non-wool fibers and the scrim on an opposing side. The method includes finishing the pile fabric as natural sheepskin, including, polishing the fiber side of the pile fabric, and cutting the wool fibers to a designated length.

A method of making a pile fabric that closely resembles natural sheepskin fleece, that includes forming a yarn made with wool fibers and non-wool fibers and knitting the yarn to form a pile fabric and knitting a scrim to form a base, while simultaneously knitting the yarn and the scrim together, where the yarn is attached to and extends from the scrim to form a length of pile fabric having a fiber side with natural wool fibers and non-wool fibers and the scrim on an opposing side. The method includes finishing the pile fabric as natural sheepskin, including, polishing the fiber side of the pile fabric, and cutting the wool fibers to a designated length.

A method of making a pile fabric that closely resembles natural sheepskin fleece, that includes forming a yarn made with wool fibers and non-wool fibers and knitting the yarn to form a pile fabric and knitting a scrim to form a base, while simultaneously knitting the yarn and the scrim together, where the yarn is attached to and extends from the scrim to form a length of pile fabric having a fiber side with natural wool fibers and non-wool fibers and the scrim on an opposing side. The method includes finishing the pile fabric as natural sheepskin, including, polishing the fiber side of the pile fabric, and cutting the wool fibers to a designated length.

An open-type circular knitting machine for the open and width-variable web production with a knitted fabric take-down and/or collecting assembly, including: a basement, knitting head and take-down and/or collecting assembly for the fabric. The head is equipped with a needle-holding element having a plurality of needles arranged around a central axis; a first and last active needle delimit a dead zone of the element without needles, and an arc-shaped operating zone with active needles. The head has a control device connected to the active needles to selectively actuate them to produce an open knitted fabric extending between two side edges making up two selvedges of the fabric. The assembly is downstream from the head with respect to feeding direction of the fabric, configured for rotating integral or coordinated with the element during production. Further, at least a first cutting device, configured for progressively cutting and/or trimming the produced fabric.

An open-type circular knitting machine for the open and width-variable web production with a knitted fabric take-down and/or collecting assembly, including: a basement, knitting head and take-down and/or collecting assembly for the fabric. The head is equipped with a needle-holding element having a plurality of needles arranged around a central axis; a first and last active needle delimit a dead zone of the element without needles, and an arc-shaped operating zone with active needles. The head has a control device connected to the active needles to selectively actuate them to produce an open knitted fabric extending between two side edges making up two selvedges of the fabric. The assembly is downstream from the head with respect to feeding direction of the fabric, configured for rotating integral or coordinated with the element during production. Further, at least a first cutting device, configured for progressively cutting and/or trimming the produced fabric.

A method of making a sheared wool, deep pile fabric that closely resembles natural sheepskin fleece, that includes forming a yarn made from wool fibers and simultaneously knitting the yarn and a scrim together, where the yarn is attached to and extends from the scrim to form a length of wool pile fabric having natural wool fibers on one side and the scrim on an opposing side. The method includes finishing the wool pile fabric as natural sheepskin by polishing the wool fiber side of the pile fabric by guiding the length of pile fabric over plural heated polishing rolls, where at least two of the plural heated polishing rolls rotate in opposite directions, and cutting the wool fibers to a designated length.