Flying with hooks

[Beulah]

I heard from a knitter that she was not allowed to take her knitting needles onto the plane when travelling, so now I am worried about being able to take my crochet hook onto the plane. I do mostly thread crochet so my hooks are very thin. I am planning on going to the UK which is an 8 hour flight and I don't think that I have gone that long without crocheting before, and I can't imagine sitting on a plane for 8 hours without being able to crochet. Has anyone had any problem taking their crochet hooks onto the plane?

[cupcake]

yep. I had mine convisgated a few weeks ago for a flight from Brisbane to Melbourne. I begged the security man and he let me go out and put my hand luggage through the baggage so I wouldnt lose them. I had a steel 1.75, 4mm. and 7mm aluminium.

 

Bamboo and plastic hooks are ok.

 

The stupid thing about all of this is that my hub some how got through with a razor in his back pack. and what really peeved me was that the girl in front of me had one of those metal Ibis Clips in her hair ( a real likely weapon), and another bloke had an umbrella.

 

and the biggest annoyance was that once we were in the Quantas club, they had glass glasses and metal forks which I could have at any time had stuffed in my bag.

 

Now I understand the concern re hijaks etc, but can you imagine someone like me saying " this is a hijak... I have a crochet hook and am going to double crochet you if you dont take us to Fiji!"

 

I suggest you check, and maybe see what the smallest hook is you can get in wood or bamboo.

[donnalynn2]

According to the FAA both crochet hooks and knitting needles are allowed, but individual airports can make their own determinations. From what I have seen, it's best NOT to take steel hooks on the plane. I'd bring something larger than an E for work on a plane and if you really want to bring knitting needles, just to be safe I would get plastic.

[GinaLaughed]

I remember needing to know this info when I had to fly last summer because I hadn't flown in years plus I hadn't flown since 9/11. Things really have changed! I looked up the info I needed on the internet at Transportation Security Administration here in the US. They didn't even begin to prepare me to go through what I went through! In the end I was allowed to take my entire bag of hooks, all steel, including a whole set of hooks for thread.

 

I found the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority for you.

 

Here is their permitted and prohibited items list:

 

http://www.catsa.ca/english/travel_voyage/list.htm

 

They don't list crochet hooks specifically but they do list knitting needles so I bet it's ok. I would just tell them your hooks are knitting needles....nobody ever seems to know the difference between the two. Then I would start a crusade to get crochet hooks added to the list.

 

HTH!

 

[Beulah]

Thank you for the info and the sites, it was very helpful, I had a plastic hair pick, and a nail file confiscated one time, so at least if it is up to the individual airport I can print up the list and show it to them. I have to crochet, I wouldn't know what to do with my hands otherwise, so I really appreciate you going to the time and trouble to find these sites for me, thank you again.

[wildthing1058]

You can take crochet hooks and knitting needles on flights you can also take small scissors up to 3" in lenght from the folcrum ( that is the rivet that holds them together where they are joined you can veiw all the items you are aloud to take on flights at this web site

 

http://www.tsa.gov

 

I do not know about other countries but US and Canada go by that one as we have Air Canada flying out of the airport I work at and they go by same guide lines

[losingmymind2]

When in doubt, take a cheap hook you don't mind losing. It literally is at the whim of the inspectors.

[Dejhia]

I've flown with crochet hooks and knitting knittings many times. I've never had a problem with it. Of course, those were all internal to the US flights. When I flew internationaly, it was in 2001 before the regs had been loosed up to allow knitting needles and such in the plane.

 

 

 

I would suggest going on line and trying to find the reguatlions for the countries you are flying to/from. I know that in the US, you can take crochet hooks and knitting needles on the plane, but it is still up to the indivual TSA screener to allow/not allow them. So, while the regs say you can, some people have problems. IF you are reallly worried, either take a plastic hook with you, or bring a self addressed stamped envolope with you so that you can mail yourself your hooks if they are not allowed.

[Squarah]

I've flown on Continental in the US and never had a problem.