Travel Knitting Game Plan -

I hope I am not the only weird one who gets really excited to go on a road trip because luckily for me, my husband likes to drive and that means extended knitting time! Not only is it extended knitting time, but it is also ‘guilt-free’ knitting time. Please tell me I am not the only one who gets excited about this. Knowing how to plan your knitting when you travel will make your trip and your knitting more satisfying. Did I just say, “plan your knitting when you travel?” Yes, I did! If you know me at all, then you know I am a planner and yes, sometimes I will spend more time planning my knitting projects for a trip than what clothes I am taking! Since it is summer, and I know there are lots of road trips going on I thought I would help you come up with your ‘travel knitting game plan’!

A couple of years ago, our family went on a road trip and pulled our camper to Michigan. We took 2 days to drive there and it was my daughter’s first time there. We went to the Ann Arbor area for a few days to see some family and tour there. We then went North to the upper peninsula and visited the Mackinac Bridge and Island. After that we headed to Sault Saint Marie to see the waterway locks where the ships travel between Lake Huron and Lake Superior. I found that to be fascinating. Next, we traveled to White Fish Point Museum where they have the history of Lake Superior and all the shipwrecks on the lakes. Finally, we traveled down through Wisconsin and went to Chicago before heading home. It was a really fun trip and we had a lot of car time.

When we got on the road, I cast on the Passing Showers sweater. I knitted almost the entire sweater on that road trip. However, it would have been better if I had the time to cast on my project before I left. That way I could have blocked my swatches and worked out all the little details without having the inconvenience of being in the car where I didn’t have anywhere to put the things I needed. However, I know that this is not always possible so here are a few tips to make things a little easier…..

Read the pattern before you go to see if you need anything that you were not thinking about, for example you might need to bring a cable needle or double pointed needles.
Be sure to bring extra needles with you because, depending on how your gauge swatch turns out, you may need to adjust your needle size. You don’t want to be in the middle of nowhere and not have the right size needles.
Pack your notions in a small bag or tin that is easy to access. Keep it handy at all times. Be sure to bring everything; scissors, stitch markers, measuring tape etc, or read my blog post on the basic tools, so you don’t forget anything. Check out the blog post 10 Essential Tools for Every New Knitter.
Easy projects will be better if you are going to be on a plane or with a lot of people. That way the distractions don’t cause as many mistakes.
Long road trips make for accomplishing a lot of knitting. Be sure to bring enough yarn with you. You would be surprised at how many yards you can knit when you are confined!
Take time to stretch your arms and hands. So much knitting time can cause cramps so be sure to take time for stretches.

I found this necklace that I just love and is the perfect traveling companion. It looks like laminated wood but is a magnetic pendant, so it holds your stitch markers and cable needles and prevents you from losing them. Sometimes you have those projects where you have to take the markers on and off and keep moving them. This is the perfect little tool to help you with that! You can find it here at The Stitchin’ Den.

Planning the right knitting projects and packing the right supplies can make your summer travels a perfect time to knit. Be sure to think ahead and bring projects that will not be complicated if you are likely to be easily distracted. Don’t bring anything too bulky when you are in the car. However, if you like camping, as I do, having a large lap project or an afghan is nice for when it gets cool in the evenings. It is time for the summer travel season so I hope these tips will help you plan your traveling project. Enjoy your trips and be sure to tell me about them in the comments.

Knit with Love my Friend,