Knitting on Airplanes

Q. Can we now knit when flying in an airplane? Have the "rules" changed? Will you knit during your flight to Germany? Can we take our knitting implements through the security check now? Are there some knitting notions that are prohibited ... scissors, I imagine. What about our knitting needles?

A. Thanks for asking! Mme did knit, going to and coming from Germany. She was in a center seat and was very happy about electing to bring a small, relatively mindless project on circular needles. It was a zig-zag scarf on the way there and a flat top hat on the way back. Both were done in Inca Print Alpaca -- a thin yarn that makes a soft garment with a beautiful stripe. One ball was all she had to carry each time and it weighed less than 4 ounces, including the needle.

Yes, the rules have changed, and we can now bring previously banned items with us when we fly. Mme is sure you will be relieved to know that spear guns, hand grenades, sabers, gasoline, axes, hatchets, cattle prods and dynamite are still banned from the passenger cabin. However, it is now technically possible to bring scissors under 4" in length, or those that have blunt tips, with you in your carry-on bag. She says technically, because you may still have to convince the actual carbon units at the check point that your scissors are not dangerous. [Eyelash curlers are also okay, in case you were wondering.] Anyway, because of the human factor, Mme never brings scissors, but always uses a Quickie Cutter, which has no exposed cutting edges that could be used by a hijacker to gain access to the cockpit.

As far as needles go, there aren't any specific restrictions on knitting needles, but Mme's opinion is that wood and plastic are still the best bets, because they don't attract the same attention as metal in any shape.

Mme is grateful for this opportunity to thank the Transportation Security Administration for their tireless efforts to make her miss her plane, as well as for their informative website where ordinary citizens can find answers to pressing questions, such as, "Am I wearing the right shoes?" [Think this is a joke? See the link above? By the way, is the "no white shoes until after Memorial Day" rule still in effect?]

As far as the logic of restricting anything a knitter might bring on board is concerned, Mme has always maintained that if the first thing that terrorists have to do in order to take over a plane is find a knitter, they need more training.

Nevertheless, the passenger sitting across the aisle on the way home, when the delusional guy tried to open the door, [you haven't read my blog yet?] did tell Mme that she felt quite safe, because Mme had knitting needles! So it must work both ways!