Crocheting on Vacation

It’s that time of year again; the sun is shining, and we are starting to think of our summer holidays. A perfect mixture of sun, sand and … crochet. Yes, of course as an avid crocheter I wanted to take my hooks and yarn along with me and I expect I am not alone in wanting to relax with my hobby when on vacation.

I recently went on my first ever “beach” holiday, took my yarn and hook, and had a great time. Here I have put together a few hints and tips about what you may want to watch out for when taking your crochet on holiday.

What to pack

When you are packing a suitcase, space is at a premium. This means that no matter how lovely your current afghan project is, it’s a big no-no, unless you are planning to take an extra suitcase to carry your wool and work. Good projects are single skein makes. I had great fun working on the secret paths shawl from Mijo Crochet, which is worked from a single skein of Scheepje’s Whirl. I was able to happily work my way through the colour changes in this so I had a little variety in the colours I was using.

Yarn is bulky, and although it might not take up much of your weight allowance for flying it will definitely take up space. I saw an innovative approach to solving this issue through using small vacuum bags. I must admit, I have never tried this, although I once received some mail order acrylic yarn in a vacuum bag that survived the experience surprisingly unscathed and crocheted up as normal after being released from the bag. A vacuum bag is all well and good for the outbound journey, but unless you are planning on leaving a load of bulk at the hotel I would recommend befriending the cleaning staff so that you may be able to borrow their vacuum cleaner on the last morning to suck the air out of your yarn.

Can I take hooks on the plane?

Well, it is absolutely no problem to put hooks in your hold luggage. I asked about taking them into the cabin with me and was told that anything that might be used as a weapon would be taken off me at security. I’m guessing that a hook could technically be used to harm someone. Not wanting to lose my hooks, I decided not to test how security regarded it and I stowed them my suitcase that was going into the hold.

UPDATE: I did a little more research and you can find the security advice I was given in my post Can I take crochet hooks on a plane?

What kind of projects to take

I took a few different projects with different levels of difficulty. Although I worked on all the projects from my sun lounger, I definitely found the most repetitive pattern the most fun to work on. It was easy to dip in and out of as there was no counting, just rows of different stitches. It was perfect for crocheting in the open where there are plenty of distractions to interrupt your counting and you could just enjoy crocheting stitch by stitch.

The other more intricate projects were good for quiet moments, where nobody was around or if I chose to sit out on the balcony. I made good use of the hotel’s wifi checking out new stitches and techniques used in these projects. However, if you are going somewhere “off-grid” you might want to check over the pattern before leaving just to make sure you know all the stitches before starting.

Where to crochet

Anywhere you feel comfortable. I chose not to crochet on the beach as I did not want to get sand into my projects and so I remained pool side with my yarn. Remember when you are crocheting in the sun, you’ll be soaking up the rays so don’t forget to put on your sun cream to avoid burning.

What to expect

A great holiday. If, like me, you are a crochet addict, bringing your projects really enhances your vacation. I’ve read some people feel shy about crocheting in public but my experience was entirely positive. People were curious about what I was doing and I got to hear about some of the fantastic projects that other crocheter were working on.

So if you have room in your suitcase, take the plunge and bring along your crochet hook and yarn!