Has this ever happened to you?
Placing my carry on bag on the conveyer belt at the airport in January, I was quiet and determined. Quietly confident that knitting needles (made of the finest ebony) posed no threat to national security, and determined to have it out with any airport security peeps that thought otherwise.
So when my bag was pulled aside, and the project bag taken out I was ready. Before launching into my practised
speech rant about why security restrictions have been relaxed to allow knitting needles onboard, I took a moment to breath and prepare. The said security peep then produced my dear ol' mama's finest
stork embroidery scissors and asked if they were mine. My pride sank, deflated and defeated I admitted my crime, and he very graciously said "they are lovely scissors madam, but it's a no."
Yes I was sad that they are gone. The shine was somewhat taken off my holiday knitty projects. But replace them I have. The exact same
stork pair, and added a
couple more varieties to the store for good measure. Including the gorgeous
Gingher Designer Series - Jennifer Embroidery Scissors (above). Value $44.95.
If you would like to win yourself a pair of these scissors, just add a comment below which includes your 'travel with yarn' tales of woe. Overseas entries welcome.
The winner will be drawn by random after midday (AEST) next Wednesday 10th April 2013.
Oh my goodness... how beautiful are those scissors!
ReplyDeleteMy travel tale also involves scissors but only because I didn't have any. I had a crochet hook, yarn and an easy pattern for premmie baby beanies but no scissors. So on the long plane trip I crocheted up a long string of beanies, a bit like a bunting string, and cut them apart when I got home.
~ Christine xx
I don't have ny tales of woe! Just lucky I guess.
ReplyDeleteBt I have to say that my little gingher scissors are the best scissors ever. Lucky person who gets these!
My travel tale of woe includes getting turned back by flood water a couple of years ago going through Bourke. The rain had made the road rather rougher than usual and I learnt that laceweight Alpaca doesn't make ideal road trip material! Quite a few dropped stitches and 'interesting' additions to a large expanse of stocking stitch! The WIP is languishing still...
ReplyDeleteOh my, these are gorgeous scissors indeed.
ReplyDeleteMy story has to do with an umbrella in the carry-on. Specifically, my favourite umbrella, with blue skies and clouds on the underside, which has been with me for over a decade, keeping out strong winds and torrential rain.
The men at customs opened and shut it, and reluctantly let us go.
I now have a postbag in my bag, just in case, for the knitting needles and the one day I'll forget to unpack the Swiss Army knife ...
What beautiful scissors! I'm sorry you lost your scissors... :(
ReplyDeleteI haven't travelled with scissors on any planes since the rules went in. I used to carry a thread cutter, but then I read that they might take those away because they are a rotary blade in them that could be a weapon... So now I take a dental floss with the metal blade to cut my thread, and have had no problems. Yes my bag gets looked at funny on the screen and sometimes slowly, but haven't had any problems with my cross stitch or crochet projects. I've had my laptop swabbed for drugs though... I think they must have been bored or something as there was no line-up at the time. :)
Hi Carla,
DeleteNot sure if you saw the blog post last night? You won!
Please email me at admin@suzyhausfrau.com.au with your details.
suzy xoxo
I once took some plastic knitting needles aboard the 16 hour flight to LA, only to have my DH accidentally break one in half within an hour of take-off. I nearly went spare on the trip over but replaced them one we landed. Fortunately, DH recognized the wisdom of tracking down a knitting store pronto!
ReplyDeleteThe dental floss tip above is genius! Thanks for posting that...and the string of baby beanies was a clever solution, too. Some people are ingenious.
I too have lost scissors at the security gate, having just packed them in automatically without thinking. I was knitting a jumper so fortunately it was not a problem. I find it more problematic knitting in the car on big road trips. I seem to routinely drop stuff then have to ask nicely if we can stop again to retrieve everything from under the seat. A very patient driver who doesn't mind a poke with the end of a knitting needle now & then is a blessing!
ReplyDeleteI don't have a flying with yarn story, but here is my bus travel yarny tale of woe.
ReplyDeleteI knit on the bus on the way to work most days with no odd stares or any other untoward event, but one day I got off the bus in the Sydney CBD with my cardy-in-progress in my knitting bag and realised that the remainder of the ball was still on the bus. I was trailing MT sport in Cousteau from the second last seat, through the bus door, onto the footpath and into my bag. I stood there holding my cardy with a look of terror on my face. The lights turned green and at that point I had the presence of mind to chew through the yarn to save my cardy. I waved goodbye to the rest of the ball of Cousteau.
No tales of woe, but I did take two large balls of Kauni to the US on a holiday, having carefully tracked down a wooden crochet hook. I think I did two rows of my shawl the entire time we were there.. including the plane trip!
ReplyDeleteOhhh so many cute stories, the chewing through the yarn story has got to be my favourite...Sorry didn't mean to be voting here :)
ReplyDeleteI too lost scissors when about to go through the detectors at the airport and realised that I had my embroidery scissors, so without having to go through the hassle piffed them into the bin... It was as short trip and my embroidery project was in my main suitcase, however I was very sad to to the 'right thing'. I've since replaced them with little pink handle ones which I ordered online...
I have travelled to and from china 4 times in the last 6 months and had no issues at all with my knitting or anythingm but went to Melbourne via international the week after my return and had a travel bottle I bought in the international airport confiscated by over zealous security.
ReplyDeleteI have learnt to take out the knitting and put in the tray going through the detector every time so that it is really obvious what it is - after taking 4 wips in hand luggage once - read 6 sets of needles - I only take one at a time now - as the security had a fit about this one too
sorry more that one story there....
Oh, what a gorgeous prize!
ReplyDeleteMy tale is a recent one as I only have just started knitting. I was super excited to start working on a scarf for my husband on the plane as I am a horrid flyer and have to be sedated to get on board so I thought knitting and a podcast might help me calm down. I had my calming tablet before I left home and packed my shiny new knitting bag and supplies into my handbag and off we went. When it came to security screening time I pulled out my knitting bag to get the needles ready to show security and discovered I had left the needles at home. To make matters worse the flight got delayed so I got to sit empty handed at the airport for two more hours. Lesson learned- pack supplies before freaking out.
Those scissors are beautiful! When I travelled frequently, I used to pack an envelope with stamps on it so that if I had to surrender my knitting needles, I could post them back to myself instead. It never happened luckily! I've read of people packing unpickers or nail clippers to cut their yarn with.
ReplyDeleteThose scissors are a work of art!
ReplyDeleteFor some reason I couldn't access your site to see your stork scissors, very sad at that. I don't have any yarny woeful travel stories luckily. Though some interesting incidents included going through airport security and customs had to confirm that indeed the big giant thing in my carry on bag was a book - my future MIL handed that one to me before we got on the plane! I'm not quite sure what else they thought it could be. The other time was at Sydney airport. My entire bag was searched. I had nothing in there that caught their eye. I guess it was just a random because I didn't declare anything.
ReplyDeleteHmmm.....trying to think of a witty story as I take my knitting everywhere! Meh.....at least I am in the draw now.....lol!!!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Kimmy xx
Been lucky so far, never had anything confiscated as yet. Great scissors...
ReplyDeleteDon't you hate how bad people have ruined it for us knitters travelling on an airplane. How do we snip off those ends now when we are knitting on board? My horror travel experience was when my bag was lost from Melb to Montreal and then on the way home they lost it again!!!!
ReplyDeleteI commented to this on my phone and it didn't work so here we go again. OMG I love those scissors embroider scissors are a weakness of mine and i think I am going to have to hunt these down if I don't win.
ReplyDeleteA couple of years ago we went away on a family holiday to the gold coast, we had done some shopping and my son had bought a Nerf Gun one he had been wanting for a while and we found it in a bargain shop with his own money. It was still all wrapped up in its packaging so i just put it in the hand luggage not thinking anything of it. We go through the scanner and they see it and take it out. No you can't take it on board BUT it is still in its package No so by this time my son is in tears and making a scene, our checked luggage is already checked in and we have no way of saving his gun. I am sure that the Nerf Gun went home with one of the security staff. If it was out of the packaging I could maybe understand but the bloody things don't really even look like guns in the traditional sense.
everytime I go to take yarn on a flight (I've never been on a flight longer then 3 hours) I always get to scared and put it in checked luggage. I'm scared they are going to take my hooks and yarn away!!
ReplyDeleteGosh I love those Gingher scissors!
ReplyDeleteI haven't had anything confiscated thankfully, and I did manage to be naughty and get a bamboo crochet hook on an international flight (to Fiji) before the ban was lifted. Happily crocheted both ways, cutting the squares apart when I got there (shhh, don't tell anyone!)
The exact same thing happened to me!! I had to give up a tiny pair of embroidery Gingher designer series "Sonia" scissors that had got hidden away in my handbag and I forgot they were there when I packed so carefully. I still have the cover but no scissors!
ReplyDeleteIt is so easily done isn't it? Gingher are the best scissors for dressmaking I have found. I had the embroidery ones to match my sewing pair. I could have kicked myself because it was such a stupid mistake to make as I had the dental floss cutter for my yarn anyway. So cross and sooooo sad, so I know a little how you must have felt to lose a far more precious pair!
I had a pair of scissors confiscated on my last flight, but the security guard said that scissors with a round end are ok to go on the plane. Now to find a pair of round ended scissors that aren't children's safety scissors!
ReplyDeleteDid you know they scan luggage on a cruise? I took some fabric, hexies, needles, thread and embroidery scissors, put it in my sewing bag that I usually take and put it into my luggage. Our cases were put into pickup area and later everyone in my cabin got their luggage but me. I had to go to security and there they quizzed me about the scissors...it turned out there was a pair of dressmakers shears in the sewing pouch, which they confiscated for the duration of the cruise. Luckily I could pick them up back on land at the check-in counter.
ReplyDeleteThe scissors are very cute! I make sure to take bamboo or plastic circulars, nothing metal. Though Qantas supposedly allows knitting needles through, I've often been too chicken to actually take out my knitting once on the plane. One time when I did, I had to endure visits from the male flight attendants who kept coming around to tell me that knitting is a dying art, and to ask what I was making!
ReplyDeleteI don't have a knitting on a plane story but I read all the above with interest as I'm flying in September and had planned to knit. Love the idea of carrying a post bag with me - shall remember that one!
ReplyDeleteI don't have a yarn nightmare story on a flight but I do with needles. It was awkward trying to drag my needle case out of my backpack and when I did, the interchangeable needles went flying...and predictably, rolled everywhere!!! Luckily, I managed to retrieve them all but there was a great deal of confusion...and many curious glances as to why there was some guy rummaging around people's bags to find a glinting knitting needle...
ReplyDeleteI have been very fortunate and not had any problems with airport security so far, but I wouldn't risk losing these gorgeous scissors !!
ReplyDeleteI had a doozey of an encounter a few years ago in Singapore. It started back at Heathrow on our way back from visiting the inlaws. Our bags were a bit heavy and the cranky 'just arrived late for work and had been told off by her boss' woman at check in wasn't about to let us get away with being 2.5kg over and wrote us up to go pay the extra $250 at another counter. Which led to us repacking our bags on other side of terminal, me taking out a couple of Rowan magazines which were the heaviest single item in my bag. I decided to carry them in hand luggage instead. Totally forgetting of course I had 4 pairs of new dpns and 2 pairs fixed circulars stashed inside Rowan where I knew they wouldn't get bent.
ReplyDeleteThis sorted our baggage weight out, we checked in, went through security where the woman at security had the opportunity to educate her male colleague knitting needles were fine. I did lose a small pair of scissors at this point but the needles were safe so I was ok. Then as we approached Singapore it dawned in me their laws weren't relaxed about it. I thought about leaving my carry on luggage on the plane when we all had to get off for refueling but was reminded by DH I might then get in trouble if they found the needles on board and trying to hide the fact.This was Singapore and I didn't want to get caned over them. So I had to take them with me. At 2am I was pleading with Singapore security to at least be able to post them to myself or a friend in Singapore, I really was sorry and I didn't want to lose the 6 pairs of new needles. It was in vain, and as I signed them over I held back a little tear. I sulked all the way home about the lost needles and I have never lost any since!