Tips for knitting on vacation

The 'Up North' Blanket

I love bringing my projects with me on vacation! There's likely plenty of downtime for knitting during transition, whether you're taking the plane or roadtripping. The best part is when you've finished the project and you have a great memento of your journey. "Oh hey, remember that time we went to ___? Yeah, whenever I wear this ___ I remember our together there." Basically, this is how to make a meaningful gift.

So recently I went to this magical place we Minnesotans call "Up North," so I had a good 5 hours of roadtrip time to start a baby blanket. Verbena Pima Cotton from KnitPicks, US Size 8 Bamboo circs. (CO 131 sts, work garter stitch for 1.5 inches, continue garter stitch for 1.5 inches on each side for border, work seed stitch in between)

I've been vacation-knitting for a long time, so I've picked up some great tips that I'd like to share with you lovely folks.

On the road again... this time with yarn

• Definitely carpool while vacationing on the road! It makes for epic stories, but more importantly it allows you to free your hands for knitting at least half the time.
• Listen to something awesome with your carpool buddies, whether that be a prearranged playlist, podcasts, or an audiobook. For podcasts I recommend Welcome to Nightvale or  The Cracked Podcast.  And for audiobooks I've enjoyed Nick Offerman's new book, Paddle Your Own Canoe and Tina Fey's book Bossypants. Both of these books are read by the authors (squee!). And of course for music, there's the Les Miserables or 80's Rock stations on Pandora.
• This might just be me, but I love using circs even when knitting something flat. They work really well for traveling, especially for someone like me who could lose a second straight needle within seconds of sitting down. 
• Put your yarn in a zippered bag so you don't end up stepping on it or godforbid letting it fall out of the car door and into a puddle when you get out. Ladies, this is why we have large purses. Knitting menfolk, Duluth Pack has excellent manly bag choices in canvas, leather, and wool options. Or if you're a die-hard Vikings fan you can buy a piece of Minnesota history with a Domer bag, made out of the old Metrodome stadium fabric. 
• Do you snack on long car rides? Bring some wet wipes to use between knitting and munching. Nothing worse than getting a grease stain on your project before it's even finished. 
• Make a small kit with the following: 
1. tapestry needle
2. stitch markers
3. something to trim yarn (I use a tiny pair of scissors)
4. anything else you may need for that particular project: buttons, needle/thread, etc.)  
5. I put my needles and stitch markers in an Altoids mini tin

 

When Traveling By Air

Knitting while flying is an ethereal experience, and it can be a great conversation starter! And yes, unlike most sporting arenas*, TSA allows knitting needles. However you'll have to put your mini scissors in your checked bag, as they are not TSA-approved. Other than that, the tips above are just as helpful in the air.

Thanks for reading! If you found some helpful hints or if you have more hints you'd like to share, feel free to comment below!













* okay so there was this one time I tried to get into a college football game with some socks in progress on my Addi Turbo #1 circs... it's not like I was going to knit during the game or anything! I just always have knitting in my purse :P They wouldn't let me in though, they said it was a weapon! Hah.