A circular knitting machine is described whose components can be adjusted to meet an order with the aid of adjustment data sets stored in a data memory and which relate to a predetermined knitting structure, yarn type, yarn thickness and quality of the knitwear to be produced and preferably arise from knitting processes already carried out on the circular knitting machine. A basic adjustment is preferably first effected on the basis of the adjustment data and can be followed by a fine adjustment with a central adjusting device for the loop size, until the desired quality is attained. (FIG. 1).