Vacation Knitting

Packing for a vacation, and remembering everything that I need to take is always a bit stressful.  I usually get all of the miscellaneous things I need (often with one trip back to the house from 2 blocks away to get that one or two missed items), but my clothes are the last to be packed (and I often over-pack those as a result).  My most stressful packing by far is knitting.  I must have something for the car that does not require loads of concentration, something more detailed for the trip, all of the instructions, and of course the correct needles in all required sizes and lengths, and up or down a size for good measure in case gauge is not working out.

I remember my famous plane trip to Australia (15 hours in the air after landing in California).  I had packed a pattern for a very intricate pair of socks in my carry-on (other knitting was in checked baggage) that I was sure would hold me over on the long plane ride.  As we sat waiting to board the plane in Los Angeles, one of 5 double pointed needles broke.  And, I had purchased these expensive rosewood needles just for this occasion as kind of a celebration.  I thought, no problem, I am capable of knitting socks with 4 needles, although I prefer 5.  Soon after take-off, when I decided it was time for some Zen concentration to take my mind off the 2 kids kicking my seat behind me (I finally had to succumb to asking the father to control them hours later, and he was less than pleasant, but obliged), I set down to work on my beautiful socks.  Soon, the next needle broke.  I was done for knitting on that plane ride (I now carry 2 sets of needles for every sock project).  I thought that since we were going to Australia, land of wool, that I could surely replace these needles in one of the many cities that we were in.  Little did I know that knitting is not popular in Australia, and I spent my entire trip both trying to find replacement needles, and desperately seeking some beautiful Australian wool to bring back and make a sweater.  Finally did find the beautiful natural wool in Tasmania, never found sock needles.  Who would have thought  that a country known for it’s wool would have been full of knitters interested only in fuzzy and sparkly yarns?

So now to leaving tomorrow for a week at the beach.  Last year I knit most of my Polar Bear sweater in that week (part of my Ravelympics feat), and I wanted something complex and entertaining.  So, Poetry in Stitches kit that I recently purchased on Ravelry from someone with too much yarn and too little time (not my problem—right!).  I am excited to start this.  I am also bringing along 2 socks to work on (Arch Socks with a hand paint yarn from Rivers Edge Studio, and STR 2008 sock club socks “Holidazed”).  Wish me luck.

And just in case, I have a back-up of a Hanne Falkenberg kit, but I would have to hand-wind all of the balls of yarn.