Hello, you!
How are you? I am pretty sure many of you already planning your summer (or winter!) vacation by now. What about the plan stitching wise? Did you decide what to knit, what to take, and how much to take to the trip? While I was planning my own trip (the exciting details will be continued on next post!) I had a good chunk of time to think about this and here's what I got so far.
First, let's think about the numbers and sizes of the projects. If you are on a long vacation you might wanna take more than one project. They could be totally different enough to offer some fun and variety. Or, could be two or more projects of the same kind. Depending on what you prefer, you could take one big project or several small projects, too. I think it is all up to you!
Second, diffculty of the patterns. Too complex patterns may require you to knit with multiple colors and more tools. Also, you would need to have the pattern out at all times with good attention and concentration. It would be ideal to choose a project that doesn’t require you to look at the pattern all the time. If there is a chart, try to memorize it before you leave. It is gonna be super handy! Read through the and highlight everything important and make sure you are taking everything you need to finish the project. It might be pretty difficult to pick up any tools you may have forgotten while traveling.
Third, what materials and tools do you need? Let's think about the amount of material you’ll need for the projects. First of all, don’t forget to wind skeins before you leave! Center pull cakes work best for travel knitting since they won’t roll away as easily. (Yes, I've been there and it was pretty embarrassing in the middle of airplane. Can you picture that?) Also, you might wanna avoid doing any intarsia, stranded color work or similar projects. Handling multiple balls (or cakes) of yarn attached to your knitting requires extra space and concentration. It could be pretty hectic.
After investigating the pattern choose a right sized-project bag and container accordingly. If you are using stitch markers once you finish them house them somewhere safe. Don’t let them lie around sliding off of tables and surfaces easily. (Again, I've been there!)
Let's talk about the needles you will use. Circualrs are my favorite! They are easy to work with while on the go. I like this
traveler's circular knitting needle case since this beauty can house not only circulars but also scissors, rulers, stitch markers and more in one place. It is super convenient when I have to quickly grab and go.
What about keeping track of your rows? There are stitchers who prefer a row counter app on their cell phones. I am pretty old school so I'd like to take a small row counter. But, again, it is very tiny and can be missing easily. It requires good amount of care. The best idea would be writing down row numbers, increases, decreases, and repeats manually. I know, it is not always possible but it is safe.
So those are what I came up with so far. Super excited to take a vacation with my knitting and crochet projects. But, it requires decent preparation and plans to be successful. So, how do you deal with this? Is there anything else you'd like to add or share? I would so~ love if you step in and give me your precious 2 cents!
Happy stitching!
Soyun
June 20, 2019
Hi Crochet Shaz, I have exactly the same problem, too! Perhaps we don’t know what to do… or we just feel we need all of them just in case. ;) Either way, we might able to improve the way we handle it. I am gonna share some of my suggestions for travel projects. Stay tuned and get some idea in a few days!