Quilt Notions & Travel Questions

I have traveled a lot, and I find there's a lot of variation about what's allowed and what's not, from security guard to security guard. One trip they'll ignore a four-inch Swiss army knife, the next trip they'll confiscate cuticle scissors with 1/2 inch blades. Even nail clippers. And forget about arguing with them -- that just brands you as potential trouble. Inquiring in advance of the airline representative will have little or no bearing on the decision of the security guard at the gate

My suggestion would be, whatever you decide to put in your carry-on, select a cheap version. I find it hard to imagine a guard might confiscate a

*plastic* crochet hook or small, enclosed blades like nail clippers (which cut thread pretty well), but it's up to the guard. You can put your good embroidery scissors or whatever in your checked luggage.

ep

put them all in one dental floss box...thread, cutter(in top), needles, pins . the dental floss cutter bit is metal but never had an issue with carrying that onboard. the needles/pins are too thin for the machine to notice. j.

"Edna Pearl" wrote ... I have traveled a lot, and I find there's a lot of variation about what's allowed and what's not, from security guard to security guard. One trip they'll ignore a four-inch Swiss army knife, the next trip they'll confiscate cuticle scissors with 1/2 inch blades. Even nail clippers. And forget about arguing with them -- that just brands you as potential trouble. Inquiring in advance of the airline representative will have little or no bearing on the decision of the security guard at the gate

My suggestion would be, whatever you decide to put in your carry-on, select a cheap version. I find it hard to imagine a guard might confiscate a

*plastic* crochet hook or small, enclosed blades like nail clippers (which cut thread pretty well), but it's up to the guard. You can put your good embroidery scissors or whatever in your checked luggage.

ep

No idea, every flight seems to be different. Somebody once posted here the suggestion of a dental floss box to hold a bobbin full of thread

-built->Hi Everyone. I know a lot of you enjoy traveling and take your quilting

On Sat, 27 Mar 2010 08:48:38 -0500, Roberta wrote (in article ):

I've never had problem with the thread cutter pendant as my "necklace" but it's been a long while since we've flown. (At least 2 years). Also, I stuck my needles and pins along the zipper teeth in my purse. No one even notices they were there.

MSM has been flying to AZ with her knititng and no problems, so I'd guess a crochet hook, especially a wooden or plastic one would be okay.

Maureen

I have flown with nail clippers (the kind without the pointy device) and used them for trimming threads in flight.

Mary

The threadcutters are explicitly forbidded for carry-on, see the TSA website:

I've carried on board needles and dental floss box lots of times, in various airports and was never questioned on any of that.

I have my aluminum chrochet hook (just the one) in my pencil case, and wasn't asked about that either, but I think that was only one flight, so not much to go by. I would have gotten a cheap plastic one, if I could, but those are not available here...

Pack a magnet, if you drop a needle, you want to be able to find it more easily than normal. Personally, I end up using my kit in the airport during waittime and not in the air, where I always find the space too cramped. Of course, if you are sharing space only with you husband, this might not be an issue for you :-)

Hanne > Hi Everyone. I know a lot of you enjoy traveling and take your quilting

Thanks Sandy. I've been putting some thought into what I need in my travel kit. You just put the finishing touches on it. I have a pair of sharp pointed scissors that are about 2 1/2 inches long but I was really afraid to take them for fear that TSA would take them. I have some JoAnn gift certificates so maybe a new pair of scissors is in order. That way I can make up a travel kit and keep it together rather than pack it then take stuff out when I get home. I flew to Florida on JetBlue from JFK a few years back. I had some little bitty swiss army type knives on my key ring. They were only about two inches long. I had gotten them at a couple of places I had worked at. At the airport I got frisked and my purse searched at 3 different locations. TSA took two of the knives.

I know that security is different from location to location. I will just have to put my kit together and see what happens. I think I'll get a plastic crochet needle too just in case. Thanks for the information.

Hugs, KimW

I totally agree about the variation from one place to another and even guard to guard. I have flown a lot in the past 8 years and have seen no consistency with TSA, especially at the local airport. DH and I were flying to Florida a few years ago and I had a question about some medical equipment or something, I can't remember exactly what it was. But the airline gave me the answer about how they intended for it to be handled according to their policy. Well when we go to security I was told very bluntly and rudely by TSA " I don't care what the airline told you. This is how we do it." I"ve had a few run-ins with TSA lol. Nothing serious enough to get me escorted out or anything like that but they knew I was very unhappy when I finally got through. Granted it didn't make a bit of difference but at least I let them know how I felt. Especially the time I got strip searched because of a knee brace after having just flown out of the same airport twice in the days prior to this without any problems at all.

Hugs, KimW

"Edna Pearl" wrote in message news:hojdno$t8c$ snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.org...

WOW!!! That is a great idea. I'll try that. Thanks for that idea.

Hugs, KimW

Howdy!

I take one of these on a plane; no problem; just a little blade to cut thread or yarn:

A plastic pill bottle will hold a spool of thread, needles, safety pins, finger cot, small marking pencil. Tape is wrapped around the bottle (used for marking quilting lines); everything goes into a clear zip bag, along w/ the free plastic cutter & a metal thimble. Goes thru' security just fine, is open to eyesight for manual inspection.

R/Sandy

I would also suggest putting the project in an opaque bag, or in a side pocket of a bag, meaning on a visual inspection they don't open you bag up and see everything sitting right on top and it makes sense to have it all organised, so it doesn't look like you're trying to hide anything!

I like Jeanne's idea of using a dental floss box.

Cheers Anne

I never even thought about putting them beside the purse zipper. That's a good idea. Now I just have to find some plastic crochet needles. All of mine are metal and I just don't want to risk having them taken away by security. It looks like I'm in for a trip to Joann's.

Hugs, KimW

Oh wow!!! Thank you so much Mary. These websites were great.

Hugs, Kim

Thanks Hanne, I'm glad you mentioned a magnet. I never would have thought of that. I have an extension magnet that will fit right in with my crochet hook. Hopefully it won't get taken by security. We are going with another couple and luckily for the longest part of our trip we have window and aisle seats. So it will only be the two of us sitting together. Deb and I decided we would put the guys in two seats together so we could sit together and sew or crochet and gab while the guys gab or nap.

Hugs, Kim