If you're thinking of taking your knitting on an airplane this summer, our advice has so far been: don't. Security personel get to decide what's a hazard and what isn't, and we don't want to play roulette with our treasured pins – never mind the risk of dropped stitches when your needles suddenly get confiscated!
But enterprising knitter Natalie Fergie has discovered a solution we'd be proud to support: knit without the needles. How? Well, having a rummage for things which are a) allowed on airplanes and b) regularly sized and pointy led her to knitting with pencils. They make quite chunky needles, it seems, so she's using pencil roving to make her very pretty bag. Sharpen at both ends, and voila! instant, airplane-safe DPNs.
Recognise the name? Natalie is best known for producing stunning hand-dyed yarns and roving from her base in Edinburgh. Visit the Yarn Yard to see her regular colours and her latest gorgeous experiments.
Thursday June 12, 2008 
