Now that worldwide travel has opened up after the pandemic many people who like to knit are thinking of flying again, asking, “Are knitting needles allowed on planes?”
If you love knitting, you’ll understand that it’s a brilliant way to pass the time on a long flight. Also, if you love knitting, then chances are that you like to take your current projects wherever you go. With all the delays and queues involved in air travel lately, it helps to have something you can do while waiting.
If you are a nervous flyer then being able to knit helps as a form of distraction.
I remember some years ago my parents went to visit my sister who was living in Australia at that time. On their return journey, my mother’s knitting was discovered in her hand luggage and she had to leave it with my sister.
Rules for Knitting Needles on Planes Internationally
So, is there a clear rule about taking your knitting on board with you?
After some research, it appears that there is no rule that fits all planes, airlines, or airports. Online comments seem to indicate, too, that some people have not had any issues taking their knitting needles on board a flight while others have been stopped from doing so with the same airline.
Advice is to Check with Airlines & Airports
Whenever we need a question answered these days we turn to our phones and search. But, those who have travelled suggest that you need to contact the airlines and airports that you’ll be flying with and passing through.
Sometimes it is also down to the discretion of the customs officers who are processing your hand luggage. One good idea I read was to prepare a self-addressed envelope just in case you have to leave them behind and have no one to leave them with at the departing airport.
Others have reported that the cabin crew have been uneasy with them knitting on the plane and have asked for them to be put away. The short story is that nothing is very clear so you’ll need to be prepared for any situation.
The airline and airport officials have a job to do to make sure that travel is as safe as possible. This means that we who want to be able to do our favourite hobby while travelling need to make sure we take the best and safest knitting needle we can,
Best Knitting Needles for Plane Journeys
However, if you’re determined to take your needles here are some ideas to consider.
One tip suggested that plastic and wooden bamboo-type knitting needles are not so easily detected in the luggage and are therefore less likely to be taken away, so this may be a solution.
Use Knitting Needle Point Protectors
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Invest in some needle stoppers to cover the points of your needles.
Avoid long straight metal knitting needles as these, once seen, are more likely to be deemed as somewhat dangerous. Also, they will disturb passengers sitting next to you. If you drop one of these, imagine the issue of trying to retrieve it in such a small confined space. Avoid bringing on a project with double-pointed needles for the same reason.
Interchangeable circular knitting needles are the best choice for plane travel. Remove the tips and store them in a pencil case for the time your hand luggage is going through the machine. For many reasons, it is better to bring a small project that uses a larger diameter circular needle with blunter tips. Make sure you have the yarn with it in case you need to show an official what you are doing with the needle.
While it is not possible to give a definitive answer to the question of whether you can take knitting needles on a plane or not, we hope this short article gives you some help.
