Friday 21 October 2011

Them Knitting Needes!


Aren’t they big and beautiful? I bought them at last week’s Creative Craft Show here in Belfast. Although I haven’t tried them out yet, I’ve got big plans for these beauties! But there is no chance of taking these in my handbag for a spot of light knitting on the bus…

Talking about knitting needles… Recently, I was at a political conference, and spent long hours at talks, workshops and seminars – all very exciting, but of course, very exhausting, too. Knitting during the talks kept me alert and focused – and I was still working as well. Every day, I was walking into the conference area with a bag full of papers, but even more yarn! The political and the knitting overlapped everytime I was trying to pull out a paper, and a ball of yarn rolled out of my bag instead…

However, one morning my knitting needles – 4mm tiny wooden circular ones – were confiscated by security, because they were suddenly considered ‘too pointy’, and thus too dangerous to be brought into the hall. Telling them that I could do more damage with my rather pointy teeth did not help, so I had to leave my knitting at the security checkpoint. HRMPH!

To say that I was not amused is an understatement…and I had dreams of seriously yarnbagging somebody…

Not being a knitter who gives up easily (and especially when knitting is concerned), I tried to get my needles through security the next time – and no, I did not hide them in my unmentionables, just had them in my bag as usual – and to my surprise, my means of production were allowed in again. Therefore, I was able to continue my ‘radical knitting’ and managed to finish my pair of armwarmers for myself (during the English heatwave!), as well as a beautiful Halloween-themed scarf.

However, if I go next year again, I doubt my big needles would be allowed in.