Traveling Yarn......

I always have yarn with me. You never know when you're going to get to use it. Opportunity strikes when you least expect it, or if you're like me, you plan ahead knowing when you're going to need the yarn to keep you from going insane just sitting and waiting. I carry a fairly large handbag, in fact all I pretty much own are large handbags, however, I have been known to try and cram a sock I'm knitting into this little gem. Clearly from the picture inside the little clutch I had a good time when I last used it.

I knit in the car, when my husband is driving of course. When I used to commute on the bus to work I would knit there as well. I always knit when I fly, and I always bring extra yarn whenever I travel. I may not use all the yarn that I bring, I may not knit at all once I reach my destination, but that's not the point. The point, it's there if and when I need it. I'm traveling to Florida soon and I'm already thinking about what I'm going to bring to knit. On the plane I typically choose small projects like Fetching fingerless gloves. They are fantastic and everyone who has received them from me so far claim to love them. Socks of course are always an good travel pick. Scarves and hats work well too. Anything that will keep you from invading the space of the person next to you will work to bring on a plane. That being said, I always knit on circular needles versus straight needles. Ergonomically speaking, circulars are more comfortable and relaxing. It shrinks your work space and when it comes time to measure a sweater you can lay it out with the circulars and see exactly where you are at. I can't do that with straight needles because the yarn gets all bunched up on the needle.

The other reason I bring multiple projects on a trip? I'll get bored. When I went to Las Vegas in November, all I brought was yarn to knit the Fetching gloves that I was making for everyone for Christmas. I almost went nuts with knitting the same project for 5 days. I cranked out at least a pair a day. It reached the point where I was changing the pattern to keep me from stabbing myself in the eye with one of my DPN's. I've gotten over that spell of disliking the pattern and I am back to making another pair for a friend who has a birthday coming up. therefore there will be no picture of that till after the birthday has passed.

I also have a trip to Parma, Italy coming up this spring with my mom. She knits too, I can only imagine what our carry on bags are going to look like. I believe it's at least an 9 hour flight over the pole, and while it's an over night flight, the first few hours will be spent knitting. I enjoy knitting with my mom. I've watched her do it for years. It's comforting to me, it's natural, and it's something we share. My sister-in-law has been knitting now as well for the past 6 years and I like having that in common with her. Do I only seek out knitters to collect as friends? No, but I do try to convert by lavishing knitwear upon them. However I have no converts yet, but I never give up hope....
So, for the trip to Florida I will probably pack in my big carry on February Lady, probably not the one for me but the one I'm making as another birthday gift. I'll bring socks to knit, and I'm also working on a cabled headband one of my non-knitting friends found on a website I forwarded to her. She saw it and asked if I could make it for her. Of course I fell in love with it and started going through my stash on Ravelry. The pattern that Megan picked out is called Bamboozled and it looks fabulous. I think, no, I know I'm going to make this for myself. If you get a chance, browse her website and see what else she has on there. The patterns are fantastic.

Well I did promise an update on socks so here goes.....Marcy is currently working on the heel flap of her 2nd Nasturtium sock. She is still on 'knitting restriction' by her doctor for her thumb. I have just finished the gusset decreases on my second Nasturtium sock. I hope to finish it this weekend. I do have a car trip up to my mother-in-laws this afternoon, my husband will be driving, and then when I get there I have a project I plan to knit at her house. I am careful about what I knit at her house because she does smoke and so I typically bring things that are washable or have time to air out before I give them away.