Crochet

I travel to Australia but have never attempted to take knitting in my hand luggage (especially since that lady got her nearly completed baby shawl confiscated). The longest leg is 13 hours with a stop in between; I take my kindle, try to snooze, may watch a film, have a walk around, do some word puzzles, do some gentle exercises at the end near the toilets! You are 'in a bubble' so you just have to switch off from the outside world.

Your plastic hook should be fine rubysong. I must learn how to crochet before I go next!

Re dangerous objects, as someone pointed out, a CD bought in departures can be broken and made into a weapon which would be just as effective (probably more so) as a Gransnetter steaming through the cabin and attacking the crew with a bamboo knitting needle!

If they are not allowed to discriminate (fair enough) how come every time I go through I get called on one side and get patted down?

Great news- that will be perfect.

I have just found a small plastic hook which came with loom bands. It works OK so that is what I shall take with me.

There isn't enough elbow room to knit if I wanted to. I do word searches, crosswords and read but eleven hours is so long. Rarely get comfy enough to sleep. I don't know how those travelling to Australia cope.

Won't make myself popular here, but I think they should just be forbidden and be done with it. How can they, for instance, allow a 'butter wouldn't melt' GNeter, but not someone younger, or a man, or someone wearing a burka? Rules have to be applied to everybody the same in an airport. And of course knitting needles could be taken from a bwmGneter and used for the wrong purpose. You can't have nail scissors taken from people but knitting needles allowed. Sometimes things annoy us, but if we look at the bigger picture, we can put up with the inconvenience for a few hours and read instead.

The airline may say it is OK but airport security may have different ideas.

There is no logic to some of it.

I once flew from Edinburgh to Manchester wearing a brooch with an immensely long pin - at least 3 inches. They never noticed it, though another time a tiny pair of tweezers was taken from me. I'd have thought that a plastic or bamboo crochet hook would be pretty innocuous but who knows how their minds work in airport security?

I have looked at the TSA website and it says knitting needles and crochet hooks are allowed. Maybe I can find a little plastic hook I can do it with, or try to use a hairgrip. They can't object to that.

Bristol are one of the worst that I have gone through.

Not sure but you are asked asked if you have anything on the list prominently displayed which includes knitting needles etc and you have to declare them (I flew from Gatwick and Bristol)
I wouldn't risk it, they can go in hold luggage but that's not much help if you want to use them on board... And if you got that far the air stewards might get shirty....

Would bamboo crochet hooks and knitting needles show up on the airport scanners?

Yes rosequartz, that's the one- couldn't do it lying on my back in traction, as the arms have to have space to flap a bit. Crochet was so much easier- and embroidery- it became such a joke with friends that I was doing this- a rock chick in the late 60s ;) but I would ahve died of boredom otherwise.

Easyjet certainly won't allow crochet hooks or knitting needles as hand luggage, try looking up airline and see what they say or give them a call? Trouble is that the check in and security staff may interpret rules differently than what's on website....

Check with the airline, ruby, however some jobsworth may still confiscate it.

I heard that bamboo needles, hooks were ok but I have never risked it. I heard of someone who had a nearly finished baby's shawl taken off her by some officious security person. I would have asked to thread the knitting with yarn and handed over the needles.

What do they do with all this stuff that is confiscated?

I don't know about the Welsh knitting.

My grandmother was Welsh and was always knitting. Mum told me she knitted in a different way to us, because her work couldn't be undone to knit up again. (Recycling outgrown woollies in the 1940's).
Has anyone else heard of this? I have no idea how it was done and would love to know.

I have just bought a 'sock loom'. Has anyone used one? It's a bit like the old French knitting with a bobbin and little nails except there are 36 loops to work on. It makes a tube and there are instructions to knit socks and wrist warmers. My question is will I be allowed to take it on a plane? I am going to California in March, to DS1 & family, and it uses a tool like a handle with a short knitting needle to pass the loops over. I can do it with a crochet hook instead but I don't know if either would be allowed.

granjura is that known as 'continental knitting ' where you hold the yarn on the left and 'pick' it with the right hand needle? ( if you are righthanded).

Rather than 'wrap' the yarn around the needle by flicking it forward?

I have tried it but can't get the hang of it. I know it is supposed to be faster.

Well it is what you are used to- as always. Speaking and writing in French is very easy for me ;)

We used to have 'competitions' (otherwise known as arguments,lol) with my mil- about which method was easier, quicker, etc. Mind you, she was one of those knitters who made the most intricate designs, with the most delicate and complicated stitches, without a pattern, all from top of head- and always got it right. Same for sewing. I couldn't begin to try knitting the English way!

German/Swiss knitting Granjura, that brings back memories of watching a friend of my mother knitting; she was Dutch, wonderful lady.
I was absolutely captivated but couldn't for the life of me work it out, let alone manage how to do it that way.

the stitches are so easy, the main problem with littlies is holding the wool tight around fingers and letting it flow through.

Went I spent 6 months plus in hospital lying on my back, in those days without TV, internet, etc- it when I learnt to crochet and embroider (44 years ago, in traction after a terrible car crash)- knitting was out as I knit the German (Swiss) way, and you need lots of space to flap those elbows around with the needles.

the stitches are so easy, the main problem with littlies is holding the wool tight around fingers and letting it flow through.

I found it difficult teaching both my girls knitting and crochet being as they are both left handed - best to sit them facing you and get them to copy your actions - it does take time and patience - sadly a much under used skills that one day they might both require!

One of my aims this winter was to learn how to crochet after seeing galen's lovely throw. Haven't started yet, because I have got carried away with knitting a dog walking cardigan.

Thanks everyone. My GD is not quite old enough to do crochet yet but I will keep all your tips in mind. I'm crocheting her a blanket for her fourth birthday. I go to Knit and Natter group and they let me in although I Crochet and Natter. My hands are swollen and painful with RSI from decades ago and I find holding kitting needles difficult.

Crochet is so much easier to learn than knitting. Problem with our grand-daughter, and grand-son, who live in the UK, is that I knit the German/Swiss method, eg waving needles around the wool, rather than twisting the wool with one finger aorund needle- so they'd get all confused at a later stage. So will stick to crochet and macramé with them.