If summer travel is part of your lifestyle, there’s no need to take knitting out of the equation. These days it’s easier than ever to travel with your knitting. By following these three simple steps, you can enjoy both your knitting and your vacation this summer!
1. Get the right supplies
Whether you’re traveling by plane, car,
If summer travel is part of your lifestyle, there’s no need to take knitting out of the equation. These days it’s easier than ever to travel with your knitting. By following these three simple steps, you can enjoy both your knitting and your vacation this summer!
1. Get the right supplies
Whether you’re traveling by plane, car, train, or bus, having the right supplies is a must.
- Safety scissors: A pair of child’s scissors with rounded blades is the best option for travel. There’s no danger that you’ll prick your fingers while digging in your project bag, and these scissors will move quickly through airport security.
- Point protectors: While these notions are optional most of the year, your point protectors will keep your project from unraveling during your travels.
- Crochet hook: Dropped stitches are never much fun to deal with, but while traveling they can cause even more stress. Include a small crochet hook or Fix-a-Stitch kit in your bag so you can manage dropped stitches with ease.
- Travel knitting kit: At home, you may not think much about notions since you have access to your supplies all the time. If you travel frequently, maintain a full set of basic notions such as stitch markers, row/stitch counters, cable needles, yarn needles, a ruler, tailor’s tape and a small notepad with a pen in a travel pouch. You can just drop this pouch into your project bag when you pack without having to gather up notions each time.
- Project bag: Knitters have limitless options for project bags today. Whether you choose a stylish handbag that also serves as a wardrobe accessory or a simple reusable market bag, keep your knitting items together while traveling. Your project bag will protect your knitting from damage, make it possible to pick up and put down your work at a moment’s notice, and also allow you to easily present your knitting to airport security.
If you’re flying, consider casting on and knitting a few rows before you leave. While knitting needles are approved for both carry on and checked luggage, having your work in progress makes it less likely you will be questioned by airport security.
2. Incorporate your hobby into your trip
Yarn shopping while on vacation can be a wonderful way to try new yarns and meet locals. Visit YarnPlaces.com or KnitMap.com to search for local yarn shops before your trip and include a visit as part of your itinerary and your travel budget.
Don’t be shy once you enter the yarn shop! Let the staff know you’re visiting from out of town. Ask if the shop has a local or regional yarn section or any exclusive colorways from larger dyers. Some yarn shops also sell branded project bags or private label yarn. These items can make wonderful mementos of your vacation or great gifts for your friends back home!
3. Choose your project(s)
While one-skein projects and modular knits are particularly travel friendly, consider your own preferences (and travel plans) when packing your yarn and needles. Will you be spending a lot of time with family or friends? A simple, garter stitch project can be a great option if you’ll be socializing while knitting. Will you be alone for much of the trip? A more complex project to challenge your skills may be perfect for a long flight. If you plan on yarn shopping while traveling, bring several needle sizes so you can work with your new yarn right away!
What about patterns? If you are bringing a tablet or e-reader, transfer patterns over before your trip. If you will have a lot of knitting time on your hands during your travels, you might want to bring a print book of patterns, especially if it is travel sized. You can also print out patterns from your PDF collection before leaving.
Traveling can also be a great time for experimenting with your knitting! Perhaps you want to try freeform knitting or use a stitch dictionary to create your own design for the first time.
Whatever project you choose, realize that you will probably not get as much knitting done as you expect during your trip. For this reason, it helps to pack light rather than stuffing your suitcase full of yarn. Besides, if you finish your project earlier than expected, you have more reasons to check out the yarn crafts scene at your destination. 