How to Plan Your Travel Knitting Projects

I have written ab out traveling with knitting before in the context of making a travel knitting kit and whether you can fly with your knitting.

But I haven’t really covered exactly what you should pack in terms of travel knitting projects. That’s probably because it’s so personal for everyone, depending on how long your trip is and how you are traveling (you’ll have more knitting time if you’re a passenger than if you’re driving, for example), your skill level and knitting speed and what you like to knit.

I like to take a few projects so that I can choose depending on my mood. Socks are great for travel knitting because they are small and take a relatively long time to knit on a relatively small quantity of yarn. So are shawls, but I also like projects that are relatively simple, with repeating stitch patterns, so no complex lace for me on vacation.

Usually I will take at least three projects for a week long vacation (and, if I’m being honest, two for a weekend away, if I ever had such a thing). One would be something small and easy like a sock or a shawl. One is usually a sweater or summer top.

And then it might just be whatever I was already working on, or a long neglected project I think I might work on if I have no other choice. Sometimes I will take a new project to cast on, but only if I’ve already done my gauge swatch or don’t need one, because swatching is way too much effort for vacation.

How about you? Do you plan your travel knitting projects or do you just grab whatever you’ve been working on? Do you plan to visit a yarn store and start a new project with the yarn you buy on the way? Do you remember vacations based on the projects you were working on? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

(Pictured is my vacation sock from last year. I still haven’t knit the second one.)

Getting ready for back to school makes me think about pencil crafts, so let’s take a look at some pencil themed knitting patterns!

I recently made a pencil on a circular knitting machine, and it was a fun, quick, easy project that uses little bits of leftover yarn (and if you don’t have yellow you can make it a colored pencil using whatever color’s your favorite). And if you want to make a bigger version check out this pattern from Orange Olive Road on Etsy.

If you want to knit a pencil pillow by hand, check out Sketchy, available on Ravelry from Shana S. Cohen. This one uses worsted weight yarn and has two size options and the choice to make a pencil with an eraser or a colored pencil.

Pencil scarves seem to be the most popular kind of pencil knitting pattern, and there are lot of cute ones. This one from Cosy Craft UK mostly uses garter stitch, with some welts to add texture and what looks like an I-cord edging. It calls for DK weight yarn.

If you want to go all garter stitch try this version from Emsley Co Creations, which uses five colors of DK weight yarn and just a little shaping to make the point of the pencil.

There’s also this fun, mostly stockinette so it looks like it curls a bit, pencil pattern that looks like it’s worked in chunky yarn from Little Knits Studio. This one uses just a little garter stitch and easy shaping for the point.

If you don’t want a pencil scarf, how about some pencil socks? The No. 2 Pencil Socks from The Yarn Enabler are available from Ravelry and use five colors of sock yarn. They feature wide ribs to mimic the texture of a pencil and have options to be worked from the top down or the toe up.

Needs Sharpening by Alexander Walker is a free pattern on Ravelry that uses five colors of sock yarn to make a sort of shortie sock. The little bit of black at the tips of the toes inspired the name. These, too, can be worked in either direction and are available in three sizes.

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