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October 4, 2007
Don't Cast On During Take-Off
So, I've been doing a lot of travel for work lately. In the last few months, I've been to Nashville, Atlantic City, DC, Nashua, and Salt Lake City. In the next few months, I'll be going to Dallas, DC, a place yet to be determined, New York City, Boston, DC, and Orlando. [Notice I seem to go to DC a lot?] I didn't even have a worldperks account before I got this job. Now, I'm racking up the frequent flier miles.
Flying is something I could take or leave. I don't hate it, but it's not my favorite thing either. I dislike the cramped quarters, people who insist on reclining the seat in front of me, people who think that just because I'm sitting next to them that means I should want to talk to them, and fact that airplanes are not a place I can get work done. Before I learned to knit, I would buy a trashy magazine and flip through it, counting down the minutes until the landing.
Then I learned to knit. Then, I learned to knit socks, and I figured out that socks are a great project to bring on an airplane. The first time I took my project through security, I was SO worried I'd have to give up my needles. I tried researching online, but frankly, it doesn't seem like there really was a clear answer anywhere about knitting needles and security. So, I brought bamboo needles, and hoped I would not have to give them up (I didn't).
Several flights later, I've gotten pretty bold. On the flight to/from Nashua, I brought Addi Turbo lace needles on board. Now, common sense might suggest that it would be a real shame if I ever did have to surrender them to the TSA, but I was feeling risky. And nothing happened. By nothing, I am NOT referring to the several rows of knitting I got done on the plane. So this time, I started using Addi Turbos to knit socks on circular needles (I'm trying it for the first time and LOVING it!).
While in Salt Lake, I decided my pattern wasn't working out with the yarn. The yarn is lovely, but--have you ever had a yarn that was too strong for nearly any pattern but a boring rib or stockinette? So, I decided to start over.
Fast forward to the airplane. There I am, fumbling with not one circular needle, but two circulars, trying to cast on. I'm hoping I don't drop a set (cuz, will I really ever be able to retrieve something dropped on an airplane? Ever?). Needle points are flailing about like octopus tentacles, and the flight attendant walks by, doing her routine check. The look on her face says, "The TSA let you on with those?" and she calmly says, "Could you put those away during take-off?"
Of course I did. But I wish I had asked why she didn't have more faith in the pilot.
Posted by chri1010 at October 4, 2007 9:42 PM | Because knitting rocks my socks!
Comments
I've had a flight attendent tell me to put my needles down during take off. Later I taught her how to knit on a spare pair of needles.
Posted by: michelle at October 5, 2007 9:53 PM