Crochet guide
Crochet to take when you travel
Take something small. A piece that fits in one bag with a ball or two of yarn, one hook and a pattern you can read without a signal is the easy kind to carry. Squares, dishcloths, a scarf or a hat all fit. A blanket worked in one piece does not.
On this page 6 parts
What makes a piece easy to carry
- It is small and light. Small pieces in a light yarn take up the least room in a bag.
- It needs little yarn. Pack a ball or two, not the whole stash.
- It is made in parts. Squares and other motifs are finished one at a time, a few rounds each, and joined later. Only the part in hand has to travel.
- It needs few tools. One hook, something to cut the yarn, a yarn needle and a few stitch markers go in one small pouch.
- Its pattern travels too. Save the pattern to your phone so that it opens without a signal, or print it.
Kinds of piece that fit
| Piece | Why it travels well | On this site |
|---|---|---|
| Squares and motifs | Each one is small and finished by itself | Joining squares, for when you are home |
| Dishcloths and washcloths | Small and flat | Dishcloth patterns and washcloth patterns |
| A scarf | An accessory, and accessories are among the smaller pieces | Scarf patterns |
| A hat | Another small accessory | Things to crochet |
A large blanket made in one piece is the poor choice. It fills the bag. A blanket made of squares is different: the squares travel and the blanket is put together at home.
How to pack it
- One bag for the piece. Put the piece, its yarn, its hook and its pattern in a bag of their own. A light drawstring bag is enough for a one-ball piece, and it drops into a larger bag.
- A bag that closes. A bag that zips or draws shut keeps the piece and its yarn inside it on the way.
- A pouch for tools. Keep the small tools together in a zipped pouch, so that they move from bag to bag as one thing.
- A spare hook. Hooks get lost. Pack a second one of the same size.
- The hook in the work. Start the piece before you leave, so that the hook is already in a piece of work when you travel.
- Your place marked. Before you put the work away, mark the row you reached on the pattern. Picking it up again is then simple.
To keep the last loop from pulling out inside the bag, see using stitch markers, which shows how a marker holds it.
Flying
Rules for hooks and scissors differ from one airline and one country to the next. Can you take a crochet hook on a plane? has what the security lists say. Read it before you pack a carry-on.
Questions people ask
How much yarn should I take? For a small piece, a ball or two. Yarn takes room, and a small piece does not need more.
Is a blanket a bad idea for a trip? One worked in a single piece is. One made from squares travels well, because only the squares go with you.
What if I lose my hook on the way? That is what the spare is for. What to use when you have no crochet hook covers the rest.
Where to go next
- Keeping track of works in progress covers how to put a piece down so that you can pick it up again.
- Browse all the crochet patterns for something small.