can you take knitting needles in hand luggage.

polo1

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Wondering if anyone knows whether you are allowed to take knitting needles in your hand luggage? Travelling and would like to use the time on the flight to knit. Thanks
 
I checked this with the airport police in Dusseldorf a couple of years ago and was told a very definite no. A few months ago the guy in one of my local wool shops told me that plastic or wooden needles are allowed now but not metal. Others have told me that they bring the modular circular needles - they put the wooden needle part into a pencil case with other pens and pencils and just shove the connecting plastic part in somewhere else. If you're a member of ravelry you'll probably find lots of discussion on the topic there.

Personally, I've tended to stick with what I was told by the police. On the other hand I don't really fly anywhere that takes longer than an hour or two and can fill that time with a book. At the very least I'd take some cheap needles that I wouldn't be bothered about having to give up, just in case.

DAA doesn't include them on [broken link removed] but does have the somewhat catch-all "1.3. OBJECTS WITH A SHARP POINT OR SHARP EDGE – OBJECTS WITH A SHARP POINT OR SHARP EDGE CAPABLE OF BEING USED TO CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY..."
 
I know someone who used the wooden part to hold their hair up and then knit all the way to the USA.
 
for once I'm amazed that the American security requirement is more relaxed than the European policy.
 
I've had to fly home unexpectedly on each of the last two weekends. Neither Dublin nor Dusseldorf airport security noticed/cared that there was a knitting needle in the bottom of my bag. I had taken the wrist-warmer I was knitting out of my bag but obviously the one loose double pointed needle (metal) had fallen out and was down the bottom. I only discovered it when unpacking after the second weekend.
 
I recently flew back from NY with Aer lingus with 8 cute little sharp stainless steel appetiser forks that were a last minute purchase and which I forget to put into my hold bag.

I carried them on board. I only remembered them when I arrived home and checked to see if they had been removed at the security check point.

I still have them. :)

I saw one women knitting on the way over and another on the way back. I don't know what type of needle they were using.

Marion
 
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