Travel & Knitting

Ankor Wat glowing in the beautiful morning light

I recently when on a photography holiday to Siem Reap in Cambodia. I had a great time on the tour, met loads of photographers and took about 500 photos. Tried the local food which is nice but seems similar to Vietnamese food. Ankor Wat was really picturesque.  Yes I brought some knitting with me and debated whether I should knit on the Jetstar flight. This time round I packed my project in my suitcase and did not knit on the plane, although I did sit next to a woman who knitted on the plane.

Can you knit on the airplane?
I used to knit on the airplane in times gone by. These days I read on the airplane while listening to music. I pack my knitting project in my suitcase and usually do not knit on the airplane, unless I really know that it is acceptable to bring knitting needles onboard the airplane. Knitting needles , yarn cutters and blunt scissors may be on the prohibited list. It seems that it varies so much depending on which country and which airline. So it would probably be best to check before your flight.

Here are some useful links-
UK – knitting needles and crochet hooks not allowed in carry on plane bag
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Foreigntravel/AirTravel/DG_176922

US – knitting needles and crochet hooks allowed in carry on plane bag
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/editorial_1252.shtm

Australia – knitting needles and crochet hooks not allowed in carry on plane bag
http://travelsecure.infrastructure.gov.au/international/onboard/prohibited_items.aspx

If you really want  knit or crochet on the airplane, than I would suggest using an  inexpensive bamboo circular knitting needles for your project and pack an extra pair of knitting needles in your luggage just in case they decide to confiscate your knitting needles – I’ve not seen this happen yet, but you never know. This way all you stand to lose is a cheap pair of knitting needles. Also these circular knitting needles hopefully look like little pencils on the scanner.  I would suggest not bringing large metal knitting needles onto the airplane.

What kind of projects are great for holidays?
Good projects for to bring on holiday are ones that are small and don’t take up too much space in your bag. Socks are great because they are small and the stitches fine, it takes a long time to knit. In the past when I made more cardigans and sweaters, I would just pack the part of the project that I am working on instead of the whole project.

Knitting / Crochet projects for the road:

• socks
• hats
• gloves
• small bags

Holiday knitting kit
The project I brought with me to Siem Reap is a red clutch bag. I knitted during the evenings and lost the pattern. Fortunately this was a photocopy of the pattern! This time I didn’t pack any accesories as it was a 4 day trip and figured I would be too tired to knit. Normally I would have a very mini accessories kit which I include with the project in a small knitting bag.

Holiday knitting kit:

• small blunt scissors or concealed blade yarn cutter
• photocopy of pattern
• marking safety pins (optional)
• crochet hook (optional)

Visiting knitting shops
I found a knitting store in the Central Market in Siem Reap. As you can see it stocked bright neon coloured acrylic yarn which kinda scared me. I love to visit yarn shops in the countries I visit. I found the easiest way is to go prepared, I research and print a list of all the knitting shops in the place I am going to visit using good before I go. I like to see what kind of yarns they have, especially if they have locally made interesting yarn, what kind of knitting needles and accesories they have, and if they have any special local designs. I did find some really interesting handspun cotton yarn & raw silk yarn in Chang Mai. I also enjoyed meeting people from other countries who knit.

Yarn shop at Central Market, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Dutyfree shopping
I discovered what good value it is to shop dutyfree at Changi Airport, Singapore. A Mac lipstick sells for S$21.80 at dutyfree. It is normally available at S$28 on the island, which means a savings of about 22% from luxury goods tax and GST (Goods and sales tax). That is a lot. It explains why cosmetics, perfume, highend toiletries and wine are way more expensive in Singapore. Something for international companies in these sectors to wrangle with, because these days with with world being very connected, it is not difficult to find out how much things cost at retail in the country of origin. I always feel so swindled if I find out that the item is way cheaper like 1/3 the price in the country of origin. I will be very inclined to shop at dutyfree next time!