Now, I suppose the question of what to bring on vacation with you knittingwise is largely determined by your destination. The different types of knitting projects as well as the quantity. I never want to be short on yarn or find I’ve forgotten the right needles so I often put more thought into my packed up knitting than my wardrobe! (Those who know my might be laughing a little as my wardrobe is almost certainly less extensive than my knitting stash). So, here are a few of my thoughts on vacation knitting.
The Checklist
1. Is there any possibility I will run out of yarn before this project is done? If the answer is yes, pack more. If no, you are all set.
2. Do I have ALL the needles and notions required to finish this project? And, as a follow up, are the notions stored in a bag that is unlikely to break, spill, or lose said notions?
3. Did I remember to bring the pattern and any reference books that may be required to complete my project?
4. Do I have the number of a knitter able to talk me through disasterous problems (if not, just bring the UY phone number, we’ll do our best!)
5. Is there any chance I will run out of knitting before my vacation is over? If yes, pack more, if not you are ready to roll!
If you are headed to your cabin on the lake (or something like that), a large amount of knitting time may be possible and you should be sure to stock yourself up before you go. Quiet evening hours on the patio or on a lawn chair near the lake leave lots of time for perhaps a sweater? Something that’s a bit of a challenge? This may be the perfectly zen state of mind to tackle that project that just didn’t seem to work out on the first few attempts. Depending on length of stay you may even want to bring a blanket project. I’m thinking something with squares so every time you look at the blanket you can say ‘remember when _________ happened at the cabin while I was knitting the green one?’. Fond memories are always best tied to large projects, lest they become dull. I also suggest something you don’t need to look at if possible for car knitting. Not everyone can knit in the car but if you can, this is great!
So, for your relaxing time in the great Canadian wilderness I suggest you pack at least one large project and maybe a few small ones, in case you become less than enthused with the larger scale project. If you will be spending your time out doors (as I will) remember to bring a waterproof bag and for heavens sake store your knitting in the car, not the tent! Moisture and knitting do not always agree lets say.
For a sandy beach think about something a little less critical. Something light (hot sun and thick wool = sweaty knitting) that you don’t mind getting a little beach sand all over. This seems obvious but perhaps a little reminder that you may not want to take your best skein of cashmere/silk with you…..that being said, sand hardly hurts knitting so be brave.
If you are taking a plane I really don’t know what to tell you about needles. You are SUPPOSED to be able to take knitting needles on the plane but you just never know when an uppity security gaurd will decide that you are a menace to society and take them away. I’ve been told a few things that I will pass on. Bamboo needles seem to be prefered, also circular over straights (they seems less weapon-like I suppose). If you have a project ON the needles, it seems to go better. The one piece of advice that makes a lot of sense to me is eto bring a self addressed envelop so if your needles are taken away, you won’t have to shell out for another pair of awesome addi lace needles. It’s making the best of a bad situation.
If you are headed to Disneyland with the family, good luck getting some knitting in! Just have fun and knit when you get home.
If anyone else has any vacation knitting advice, let us know!
–Alexa–
I think every vacation we go on involves Disney in one state, country or cruise and this year was the first year I took my knitting with me…. Although I didn’t dare bring my knitting into the actual parks there were many moments I was glad that I had my knitting- like during the car rides, relaxing at the resort outside and in, and of course the plane ride! Also, this year I dragged my poor husband to a few knitting shops along our travels; it was a lot of fun!
I never leave home without knitting! This summer I have been making hats as they are easy to carry around and they aren’t to hot on your lap! This past May we went to Europe and I debated weather to bring knitting along. I’m so glad I did. There was tons of chances to knit! I knit the Travelling Women Shawl and started the Swallowtail shawl. These were great to bring along as only was 2 skeins and kept me busy for three weeks! Hats wouldn’t have worked I don’t think too many skeins since I can knit a hat way quicker!
Travelling ought to be a time to relax and unwind. There is sometimes nothing to stress about, but for peace of mind it’s sensible to have insurance that protects you no matter where you’re travelling to.
Thanks for the cool blog, it’s nice to read things that produces sense or have a purpose in contrast to a lot of geberish blogs. I do browse a lot of these too, sometimes it’s just fun. Keep it coming.
One of the coolest sites that I visit. I really enjoy reading around so keep it up.