Leaving on a Jet Plane? How to Take Your Knitting with You

It’s getting to be travel season, and if you’re a knitter you know that travel time and vacations can leave lots of time for knitting. But it seems like every year I get questions about whether it is allowed to take knitting and assorted knitting tools on airplanes.

The short answer is, in the United States, yes, it’s fine to take knitting needles and some knitting tools on a plane with you. Rules vary among nations, and sometimes even airlines, outside the states, so if you’re traveling abroad or don’t live in the United States, check with the nations and airlines you’ll be traveling to/with for specifics.

Studio Knit has a more specific rundown of what’s OK and what isn’t when it comes to traveling by airplane in the states (and you might be surprised to learn that tiny scissors are OK but sharp pendants that cut thread are not). The rules haven’t changed in a few years but it’s always good to review.

I usually pack something on circular knitting needles (easier to work without bothering seat mates) that I’m not likely to finish so I don’t need to worry about sewing needles or scissors (even though I know they are allowed). Sometimes I’ll pack scissors in my checked bag to ensure I have them if I need them but don’t have to worry about getting hassled by the TSA or slowing down the security line.

Do you have any tips or horror stories about traveling with knitting or other craft supplies? We’d love to hear them!

[Photo: Studio Knit.]

Over the years I have shared a lot of pumpkin knitting patterns, and I’ve knit and crocheted a lot of pumpkins myself. But it feels like there are always more fun things to try with knit pumpkins, so this year I wanted to look a little more beyond basic stockinette or ribbed pumpkins and share some pumpkin patterns with cables, bobbles and colorwork.

In the cable collection we’ve got these cute little basic cable and ribbed pumpkins from Elly Bear Knits. There are two sizes that make a wide, flat pumpkin and a taller round pumpkin. Both are worked in the round as a tube that’s cinched top and bottom when you’re done, and they use bulky weight yarn.

Another cute cable pumpkin knitting pattern comes from Gray Bear Akswokrat. This one is knit flat and it looks like a chunky yarn but you could use other weights to make pumpkins of different sizes. This one also has an I-cord stem and uses yarn to cinch up the sections of the pumpkin, giving it a more natural look.

Add some bobbles to your pumpkins with this design from Autumn Shelter Makes. Also worked in the round in a tube, it features a repeating pattern of bobbles and uses yarn wrapped around the outside to make segments. This one looks like worsted weight yarn to me.

Of course there’s nothing that says your pumpkin has to be a single color, so let’s throw in some colorwork. I love the look of the Cozy Fall Pumpkin knitting pattern from South Stitch Girls. The little leather loop adds a rustic touch but you could also just add a stick. These pumpkins have five colorwork options and are worked in worsted weight yarn in the round.

There’s also the Autumn Fair Isle Trio pumpkins pattern from Equestriann Style, which has three different sizes of pumpkins with four colorwork designs. They are worked in super bulky yarn in the round and look good with high contrast or more muted color combinations.

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