Read This Before Taking Your Knitting On Board A Flight

Whilst it gets you to where you want to go relatively quickly, flying can be a pretty boring (and unenvironmentally-friendly) mode of transport. There's the journey to the airport, all that hanging around to check your bags in and go through security, and then hours of sitting down mid-flight with nothing to keep you occupied other than movies you've already seen and the person behind periodically kneeing you in the back of the seat.

All rolled up and ready to be knitted into socks

So it goes without saying that taking a small knitting project with you could be a great way to get more rows in and pass the time until the flight attendant prepares for landing. With security rules stricter than ever however, and varying between countries and airlines, here's how to err on the cautious side ...

1. Take nothing sharp in your carry on bags. Pack scissors, yarn snips and sewing-up needles in your suitcase that's going in the hold. It seems counter-intuitive that you can't take a razor through security but can buy one in Boots when you've passed through but that's the rules.

2. Only take a small project such as socks - unless you're lucky enough to be flying first class that is. With the minuscule amount of room you have in an economy seat a sweater or blanket will end up spreading over to your unhappy neighbours. You'll take up less room using circular needles.

3. Wooden needles are a better bet than metal ones, whether they're straight or circular. When you check your luggage in ask an airline staff member if you can take your needles onboard. If they say no then pack them in your check-in suitcase.

4. Forgotten to ask an airline staff member and a guard says you can't take your needles through security? Carry a stamped, self-addressed envelope in your hand-luggage, pop the needles in and ask security to post it for you. Make sure you have a piece of spare yarn to hold the stitches on (although this will be difficult without a needle if you're knitting with lace or 4-ply yarn).

5. When knitting on board try and keep the needle-clacking to a minimum - if you're a noisy knitter it's polite to switch to reading instead on a night flight when the lights have been switched off.

Forgotten to pack any knitting at all? That's a great excuse to visit a local yarn store wherever you're going. A ball of yarn you can't buy in the UK makes a better souvenir than a macrame camel or bag of spices!