Knitting on the Road: How to Pick the Best Project for Travel Knitting

by Meg Dedolph

We’re off on a Big Family Adventure in a couple of days, and because I usually leave my personal packing to the last minute in favor of getting everyone else ready (how many of you are nodding your heads? We should all stop this, right?), I decided to plan my knitting early. 

Knitting and reading are my two favorite ways to pass time while traveling. But there are so many opportunities - airports, train stations, bus stops, the actual plane ride - that it’s hard to think of the right project. 

Here are my criteria:
* Small. No sweaters, no four-skein shawls. We like to travel light and carry all our own luggage. So that means two projects (OK, maybe three), and it means they have to fit in my backpack, needles and notions included.

* Something complicated. At least one project I need to pay attention to. I think it's going to be a stalled two-color brioche shawl. I love having the down time that travel affords me and the space to really dig into a juicy pattern. 

* Something mindless. Brioche plus jet lag equals frogging, and there are in-flight movies, so I'm also going to bring some socks to to work on. I donated two pairs of unfinished socks in the scholarship auction at Cumberland Dance Week this summer, and I’m entertained by the idea of telling the recipients where their socks have been when I send them the finished work in the fall. 

On the other hand, I’ve got some great yarn in stash and it might be fun to cast on something new to go along with new sights and experiences.

Good thing I’m starting to think about this now.

What about you? What do you like to knit on vacation?

Read this if you are wondering what notions to pack in your travel knitting bag.