Plan your Holiday Knitting and Crochet

As the summer holidays approach keen knitters and crocheters often find themselves with some serious decisions to make. Do you knit and crochet during the summer months? It is one great divide we come across in crafting. Some people pack away their yarn projects as the barometer rises while others plan on taking their knitting to the beach. Do you knit and crochet during the summer months? It is one great divide we come across in crafting. Some people pack away their yarn projects as the barometer rises while others plan on taking their knitting to the beach. There is no reason why knitting and crochet can't be all year-round activities but you may need to plan differently for the summer months. We have few tips on enjoyable yarn crafting for the summer months. First off, is how many projects to pack for a holiday. When we asked about your holiday knitting on Facebook and Twitter, lots of you told us that your big fear is running out of yarn or projects while away. Then there is the issue of the right project for the circumstances - you may want something different for traveling to sitting on the balcony with a glass of wine. It is definitely worth making a plan. Ask yourself how much time you will have for knitting and crochet. How many projects will you really have time for? Do you want something simple or complicated? Once you have decided on what projects you should take - make a knitting packing list. Hopefully, you will avoid the panic of searching for the right hooks and needles three hours before an early morning start. Although it is unlikely to stop most of us adding one more emergency skein to our bags at the last minute. Asking around for holiday knitting and crochet tips, we have collected the following useful advice: 1. Take works in progress. That way you won't be seeking out wifi hotspots in the hope of downloading a new pattern. It also means you will have the yarn and needles already sorted out. 2. Choose small projects like socks (your first sock could be a holiday challenge) or lightweight projects such as shawls or lacy scarves. 3. Pack a notions pouch with essentials such as yarn cutter, tape measure, stitchmarkers, scrap yarn and safety pins. 4. Make sure your project bags keep your yarn from escaping as you use it - neither train floors nor sandy shores are yarn friendly. 5. Take three projects - easy, medium, and hard so you have plenty to keep you going and plenty of choices depending on what your day is likely to bring. A complicated lace project may only be suitable for a shady veranda whereas you might pop a crochet hook and some yarn for yarn squares in your bag when heading out on a trip. 6. If you are knitting socks while traveling, using circulars rather than double pointed needles will avoid the risk of having to chase escaped needles down at train or plane. 7. If you are using interchangeable needles and carrying them in your hand baggage, you can protect them from multiple bag packing and unpacking by replacing them on your project with cable stoppers and carrying the needles in a pen slot or notions bag. 8. knitting needles and crochet hooks are generally not banned from airports and planes but you may come across individual airlines where you will be asked not to knit or airports where security staff aren't sure. If you are worried about taking needles through airports choose acrylic and wooden needles and circular needles over DPNs or straights. Also, don't choose a project that will be irreparably damaged by having the needles removed. And don't forget there may be a lovely yarn shop or two at your destination. It may be worth doing some research in advance in case you do need more supplies or simply to find a lovely yarnie souvenir. Do tell us your top holiday knitting and crochet tips.