Travel Knitting: Lessons Learned

1. No problem at all with a short metal circular at either Toronto or Heathrow. I had carefully transferred my lace project to a bamboo needle, to go through security, and had the metal needle tucked into my bag in its holder, ready to be abandoned if need be. I also had extra stitch markers, and point protectors for my needles. No questions or issues at all.


I don't often use point protectors -- those little stoppers to put on the end of the needles -- but in this case I was in terror of my knitting falling off the needles, so I dusted off a set and pressed them into service. Didn't lose a single stitch.

2. I know I've said this before, but lace knitting is great for flying. After all, it needs significant care and attention, and god knows on a long flight there really is nothing else to do. And as an added bonus, 400m of lace weight yarn takes up hardly any room in your carry-on bag.

(On a separate note, if I think about how long it's going to take me to finish this scarf, I'll get depressed. I got about six inches worked in about 6 hours. And the scarf is going to be about 50 inches long. Given that this is the sort of project that can only be worked in ideal conditions -- good light, undivided attention, fully alert, this is going to take a while. Perhaps I'll plan on working an inch a week so it will be ready for next fall?)

3. No matter how good an idea it might seem, knitting in the pub really isn't a sensible thing to do.


(The sock I was working on in that shot was restarted the next day.)

4. Flight attendants who work long haul flights (hello ladies!) are as keen to knit to pass the time as the passengers.