Plastic hook

[itsgeetee]

I'm not sure if this is the right place for this question, but here goes..

 

Next week I will be flying to Las Vegas, a five hour flight for me. I don't want to take my aluminum hooks with me on the plane because I have heard sometimes they let you and sometimes they don't. My grandmother bought me this set of hooks 30 years ago and I don't want to risk having them confiscated or losing one on the trip.

 

So today at lunch I bought a cheap set of plastic hooks by Susan Bates. $2 for F - K, and that includes tax, so I mean cheap! I tried one on the baby blanket I'm working on and it's awful! It doesn't "slide". I feel like I have to push and pull the yarn on the round part of the hook.

 

I read somewhere to try putting a little lotion on it and then rubbing it off, but that didn't help.

 

Has anyone else had this problem? Do you think it is the cheapness of the hooks? Maybe a more expensive plastic hook would work better?

 

I guess I can always buy just the size of hook I need in aluminum, but I thought plastic would have a better chance of making it through security.

 

Thanks in advance!

[Gran]

After cleaning them, I use bees wax. Hooklady recommends Renaissance Wax, which is very nice and smooth and makes the hooks ever so much speedier. Other possibly helpful info in these threads:

 

http://www.crochetville.org/forum/showthread.php?t=26106&highlight=Plastic+hooks which includes the following:

 

 

Maybe these threads will be helpful in addition to what others might post: http://www.crochetville.org/forum/showthread.php?t=21451&highlight=JoAnn%27s+Essenti al+hooks

 

http://www.crochetville.org/forum/sh...oAnn%27s+hooks

 

http://www.crochetville.org/forum/sh...oAnn%27s+hooks

__________________

[lizc]

just so you know, you CAN use your "normal" hooks.

find your airlines website, it is on there and it will also give you a link to the national transportation site

 

i went to minneapolis last year and brought my knitting needles

[Keiyla]

I heard that certain items had their bans lifted, and that crochet hooks were one of the items. Can't swear to it, though. I do know that of the 3 lighters I brought from California to Tennessee and back, twice last year, only 1 got confiscated, and my aluminum crochet hooks were never mentioned.

 

If you're worried about it though, I'd recommend wood, actually. I bought a bamboo size K from my local yarn shop and I absolutely LOVE it. I mean, I was talking to my bf about it, my friends at school, everybody, for days after I got it. I couldn't get over and nice it was. Warm and soft and slides smoothly through the yarn...The last 3 projects I've made have been with a size K just so I could use this hook.

 

My boyfriend thought I was teasing; couldn't grasp that I REALLY like this hook.

[salos]

It helps if you print off the government's list of allowable carry ons. Then if anyone questions you about the hooks, you can show them that they're okay. I've never had trouble taking hooks on board. Course, I always have a work in progress with them.

[Catana]

I have a set of Crystalites that I hardly ever use. Plastic has more friction than aluminum, so it tends to stick. It helps to crochet a bit more loosely. But I think I'll eventually get better hooks in the larger sizes.

[itsgeetee]

Thank you everyone for your advice. I have some bees wax that I've used for quilting thread, so I'll try that on these. I've been wanting to try the bamboo hooks, so if the bees wax doesn't help I'll have the perfect excuse!

 

I will print out the list from the airline and take it with me, but I've heard so many different stories from people about some not having problems, some do even if they have the list, I'm not going to take the chance with my "heirloom" hooks.

 

My aunt just flew to Vegas last month and said she had no problems with her lighter flying out from here, but on the way back, her lighter was taken. Her friend came through right behind her and they didn't take hers! It's very strange.

 

Anyway, thanks again for all the help!

[Hounddog]

The government sometimes works in mysterious ways nobody knows the rules for sure.

[sakurasaku]

My aunt just flew to Vegas last month and said she had no problems with her lighter flying out from here, but on the way back, her lighter was taken. Her friend came through right behind her and they didn't take hers! It's very strange.

 

Yes, I read that anything below 6 inches were now okay, so I had this folding pocket knife (a knife!) with me. On the way out, it was fine. On the way back, it was taken away from me. I protested, but they said "It's a blade." and that was that.

 

Good idea to print out the regulations, but it mostly depends on who you are dealing with. To be absolutely safe, I would leave it home. But even if it's taken away, you can arrange to have it mailed home.

[goodie2shoes]

Take a few minutes with the cyrstal lites and some fine sandpaper, I find the ridge annoying smooth them down and get rid of any rough edges helps, before you beeswax. I used to hate mine now they aren't so bad, I found ones I like called Baleen, they are a soft sort of flexible plastic, I like them much better anything I have tried to date.

[losingmymind2]

Flew from Raleigh NC to Newark NJ last month and they took my daughters lighter. I didn't bother bringing my hooks as it was an emergency.

[Rosemary]

I have been taking plastic hooks on our many flights. My DH just retired and we have been to five different places (including Italy) in the last two months. Anyway, I did not want to chance having my metal hooks taken away. Truly, it depends on who you get scanning your bags. Last week on a trip home from S.C., my bag went through the scanner and they spent time looking at the scan. Then, They looked through it, ignored the pastic hooks, and said I had too much change (coin) in my purse. That has never happend before. After they checked everything, I was free to go (with all my change and plastic hooks).

[firsttimegrandma]

Hi, in the old days, we used to take the hook and "run" it through our hair. I know this sounds funny, but, come to find out, a human's hair has a lot of lanolin. Ever now and then, one of my hooks just doesn't feel right and I still do it to this day. I've always had long hair, so, maybe that makes a difference.

[MaryPat]

I have flown at least 200 times since 9/11 and have had no problems with my metals hooks. I've been in and out of Vegas 3 times. I thought there might be a problem with the thread hooks, but there wasn't.