Going on my first cruise - knitting question from an old-time poster

I travel A LOT and have been on a number of cruises. Their security requirements are the same as for the airlines. I have had NO PROBLEM taking regular knitting needles on either a cruise ship or airline as

**carry on** items. There has NEVER been any sort of restriction on crochet hooks and, IIRC, there has never actually been any restrictions on knitting needles. Some of those could do a whole lot more damage than a little nail file attached to nail clippers but you **still** can't carry those on!! You CAN carry on all sorts of sewing & needlework needles and straight pins, too -- no restrictions ever on either of those items. As for scissors, if you carry on ones with rounded points there is no problem. You CAN carry on sharp pointed scissors but the blades must be short -- something like 2.5" max. I had my Fons & Porter travel scissors (blunt tipped) with me for both of the cruises I took last year plus a knitting project with circular needles and an embroidery project. Enjoy your cruise -- I absolutely LOVE them and will be going again the end of next month :-))! CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

You can go to the TSA website and read all the rules. I would think the cruise line would have their rules posted on their site.

I have taken stitching with me on many cruises, and the only problem I have ever had is with scissors. No matter what the rules say, the fellows at TSA have confiscated pair after pair after pair, and that includes the little fold-up ones. Consequently, I never take scissors I care about in my carry-on, and keep TWO pairs with me -- one in the sewing itself (often confiscated), and another tossed in the bottom of my purse with the car keys (seldom confiscated). Go figure! I have never had anybody question sewing needles, straight pins, safety pins, crochet hooks, or knitting needles. Nor has anybody questioned those little disks with razar blades inside that are sold to cut thread and worn on a ribbon around the neck -- and those ARE forbidden. I makes no sense to me at all. As to "where to pack" the stuff, I take it either in my purse (tatting) or carry-on bag.

Just for the record, nail clippers work well as scissors in an emergency. There is also a "cutting wheel". It looks like a pendant, and has tiny razor blades embedded in the design. Jim.

Does anyone out there know about knitting needles on cruises? We're driving to the port - so no problem with the TSA. I've heard that I can take circulars in my carry-on, then I've heard that I can't (knitting needles have to go into my checked bags). Ditto for crochet hooks. If all else fails, I guess I can take a cross-stitch project :) -- but they do tend to take more space than a pair of socks on a circular needle. Thanks everyone in advance, Figured someone here on RCTN could help me out... It's been so long since I posted here, I can't even remember what my screen name used to be ;) Blossom

Okay, for some stupid unknown to me reason... I couldn't see my post or all of your wonderful help! Sorry for double posting!! My bad... Thank you everyone... I think I'll take a pair of socks on some inexpensive bamboo circulars I have & my clover cutter. Although now, I'm wondering if the good caribbean sunlight would be helpful for stitching on my fractal pattern (silly me, started it on black aida, very tiny count...) [details: from Fractals Cross Stitch volume 2, 2nd from bottom on far right of cover] Blossom

I've been on 4 cruises and taken knitting on all of them. I use 2.25 Addi Turbo circular needles, no problems at all. I put my project in my carry-on bag along with a small pair of scissors and my patter. I've never been question about any of it.

Have a fabulous holiday! We leave April 24th for an 18 day Hawaiian cruise :) It's a wonderful way to travel.

take care, L> My DH is reading all the documents & giving me tidbits of information

Blossom I answred you on the Other group Check with your Travel agent or with the Cruize company they will tell you exactly what can be done or not mirjam

How is the fractal going, Blossom? Are you the one who did the bookmark first? Would you suggest that as a good idea before starting on the big ones?

I'm asking because in the new Nordic Needle catalog I saw one that's

*really* tempting: which led meto the Cross Stitch Collectibles website where I found this bookmark: think I'd actually do them on black, since the big one takes *5*skeins of black for the background. Another one tempting me in the catalog is: 'll need to see how much the supplies cost before I make a decisionon this one, though. As I've never been on a cruise (and probably never will...the ocean scares me!), I can't really help with your questions but I've never had any trouble taking stitching stuff on airplanes.

Joan

Fractal 53 doesn't really have a lot of black background so doing it on black wouldn't have made a lot of difference. Good luck should you try one. I've got 3 pages out of 6 done and as per my resolutions am not going to pick it up until I get some "finishes" finished!!!

That's interesting. Northern Pine has many interesting designs.

Nancy

Ah, maybe *you're* the one I was thinking of, then. 53 was another one I liked....must be all the colors! :)

Is it hard to keep track of where you are? The patterns *seem* pretty straight forward. You're planning on doing a big one, too, right?

They do. My real quandary is if I really want to start getting into canvaswork, since my to-do list is already quite long (isn't everyone's, though? LOL) I really do like that design, though.

Once I finish this Wiseman from my Nativity, I need to do a few baptismal cloths for our church and then start on DSis's Christmas present, Thea Dueck's "Here we come a'caroling" so I might actually get it done by C'mas! Sometimes I wonder if I'll *ever* get the Nativity done, although I just have 1 wiseman and 2 camels left.

Joan

The bookmark is taking long enough and is big enough for me. I've two others and if I ever get them all done I'll probably frame them and hang them together. Not sure about a big one. After a year with time out for small projects and Xmas I still have 3 pages to go. I've pretty much followed their advice and work on 10x10 areas at a time, working across a page, then down to the next 10 rows. So far that has seemed to work. I don't think I've touched it since early last fall.

I've got stuff stashed to do the "Winter" one from Laura Perin, when we were choosing a SAL. Still haven't done it. I think it's been in my stash for 18 months. I'll get to it eventually but...

Is your Nativity the one where you are doing individual pieces and stitching the "reverse?" I've got one where I just did the fronts.

Nancy

Cheryl

Good to know. There is a *lot* of stitching in those!

Well, I guess I'm getting into canvaswork! I was in Fargo today so stopped at NN and got all the supplies for the 2 Northern Pine designs (the one in the catalog and the freebie)!!!!

Yup. Glutton for punishment that I am. lol

Joan

Joan

Northern Pines is Linda Lachance isn't it ? If so I did her butterflies and winter panes.

Yes and thank you!

Yes, she's the designer.

J

I have put a post-it on the pattern. Otherwise I'd never remember in that far-distant future (or with me, even the very short future!). I do hope you're really aren't in a hurry to get it! LOL Even if you are, I could send it to you and when you're done you could send it back to me!

LMK

J