Knitters Beware
 

My wife knits on airplanes. Where for a while after 9/11 needles were not allowed, they don't even get a second look here in the States.

New Year's day we flew Frontier to Cancun. No problems at security and she knitted much of the way down. Yesterday, on our return flight she was stopped by security at Cancun and told no knitting needles allowed. She had to return to the check-in area, get a zippered bag and then check her knitting.She was furious.

Frontier was wonderful. They allowed her to bypass the long check-in line since she already had checked-in once and waived the extra bag fee. Her knitting was one of the first pieces of baggage off the plane but she is still upset that she was not allowed to knit in transit.

I am not sure whether no needles is just a Mexican issue or if other non-USA airports have similar rules. She asked that I warn everyone and I thought this was a good place to do it.

You've been warned.

Each country comes up with their own rules. That's why you have to clear TSA screening after landing in the US from an international flight before boarding a domestic flight. It's definitely worth checking on the other country's rules before you go so that you want be surprised at the checkpoint.

It is also because you have been in contact with your checked luggage and enter a non-sterile area, long before there was ever TSA.

Mexico, like many other countries is well known for not allowing knitting needles on the plane. They may not take them all the time, but there are far more times they do than they don't. Not sure why she was upset, they were just doing their job.

While I don't believe you will find an official Mexican page that says you can't bring them, you will find page after page of knitters who had their needles taken from them at Security in Mexico.

Whenever you travel to another country carrying something that may or may not be allowed, a quick google search would usually show if you can bring those items or not. The knitting community is especially good about posting their experiences in their million different forums online.

A Google search won't always tell you what's allowed or prohibited from flying to the US from another country. I am a needlepointer, and have randomly had rounded-tip scissors, tapestry needles, and thread cutters all taken away at different checkpoint, even though all of those are allowed in carry-on by TSA in the US. It's just a crapshoot to guess what will be allowed, so I've given up stitching on foreign flights returning home, and just pack the stuff in checked luggage now. (I feel your wife's indignation!)

Please follow as the thread moves to the appropriate forum dedicated to travel security. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.

question taking my first international flight in february do you pass through us customs leaving the usa or coming back in

This is actually one area where TSA relented and changed the rule before most of the rest of the world. It took about two years for some other countries to change rules, but still there are restrictions either by country, or by airline.

Some airlines prohibited knitting onboard before 9/11. Air Ontario was one of those.

But again, a good reminder not to assume that TSA rules extend worldwide.

Here is one example: Air Canada permits
but I am not certain if that would include nickel plated plastic such as Addi or INOX. It also eliminates bamboo, by ommission.

CATSA however permits For years Air Canada had a picture of knitting on their prohibited items signage. I would think that in this case the airline rule overrides the country screening rule. (That has always been my experience on AC, and on LH)

Only when you come back, usually.

much the same for me
 

I've purchased wooden knitting needles and crochet hooks made in Japan and have managed to hold on to them through many flights. I wouldn't even think of taking along ones made of metal.

As far as thread cutters..... have given up on any that cost more than $1 as so many have been taken.

If there is a customs check on departure, it is usually on the jetway. In this forum, the questions appear to be around verifying the pax is not attempting to carry out more than $10k in undeclared currency.

While that may or may not be true, if you google

flying from mexico knitting needles

Some of the hits on the first page returned include

Mexico: Mexicana’s website does not specifically prohibit knitting needles, but reported conversations with personnel in Mexican airports suggest that the national policy is “no knitting needles.”

My needles were taken from me flying FROM Mexico to US so I know you can't in Mexico.

ever has there been a problem.......until yesterday when I returned from Mexico (Cancun airport). They do NOT allow needles or crochet hooks of any size and when I challenged them on that they took me aside and showed me their manual.

Well… what I missed was to also check Mexican regulations regarding the very same items. When we were going through security checking in our way back, a young lady says I cannot carry my knitting needles with me.

I have not had any problems with needles in the States, but my needles were confiscated when I was flying home from Mexico. We had a tug of war over the yarn though...

My needles were almost nabbed on an outbound flight from Mexico. Mexico’s rules ban knitting needles

flew to Mexico in April and had no trouble on the way there (was knitting socks magic-loop style on sz 1 circulars) but ran into problems on the way back. The security staff at the airport in Mexico would not allow the needles in my carry-on.


While google may or may not show if you can bring your needles (though I can't imagine there would not be user posts indicating for any place on the planet) in the case of Mexico it very clearly shows you can not expect to bring your needles on the plane without even going to a second page of search results.

Only on the return to the US, there is no customs check on departure.

Someone (exbayern, maybe? it was a while ago) posted that they have had good results with circular knitting needles, at least in the EU. I will go back later and see if I can find the original post.

Something like these (circular bamboo needles) might have a better chance of getting through, especially if the bamboo parts were short.

http://www.theknittingneedleshop.com...ed/800007C.jpg

That would be me! :)

I use 30cm (12 inch) Addi's for socks and mittens (one, not the two needle method popular right now) And technically Addi and INOX are plastic because they are nickel or gold plating on a plastic base. (I would avoid the gold ones) Addi also makes bamboo ones I believe, like the ones you showed above.

A 30cm needle doesn't look anything like a knitting needle when it is part of the sock or mitten, so usually doesn't get a second look. But LH still has a confusing/contradictory rule and some FAs think it is banned altogether on LH, so I generally don't knit on my LH flights.