Hosiery from a knitting machine is placed on a hollow tubular form while still in a string, the first in-line hose is everted or turned by suction through the open end of the form, the hose is separated from the string and is pulled off the open end of the form and deposited in everted form at a stacking station. The portion of the hose adjacent the open end of the form is doubled over and the pulling-off operation is performed by a pair of grasping fingers engaging the doubled over portion. The separating operation is preferably performed simultaneously with the pulling-off operation by breaking a knitted connector ring attaching the hose to the string. Initially, pulling the hose on the form over the open end and bunching the string on the form is facilitated by inducing egress of air during the pulling-on operation. A rotating roller may also be utilized to facilitate this loading operation. The grasping fingers engage a flattened side of the form to grip the doubled over portion of the hose and a spring loaded over-center linkage operates the fingers. First and second stops actuate the linkage to grip and release, respectively, and first and second bumpers assure operation by momentum action of the linkage means at the extreme travel positions.