Crochet Travel Essentials: How & What to Pack for Crochet on the Go!

Summer is almost always full of trips of some kind. Some are short, and others are long. The consistent thing that has come with me on many, many trips has been my crochet bag. It’s nothing special. Most often just a tote bag with the bare essentials, but it’s a constant presence in the vehicle whenever we are on the go. Plus, with our recent move across the country, I learned a whole lot more about what you really need on the road, and I wanted to share what I learned with you!

When you are getting ready to pack for a trip, do you automatically think about what you will need to entertain yourself on the way? My mind almost always has a running list of books and crochet projects that I can bring with me whenever I am going to be away from home. Whether we are trying out a new coffee shop or are going on a trek across the country, I usually have at least one book and one crochet project with me. In fact, it’s so true that my extended family has commented on it and gotten me gifts that state this fact about me. It’s almost like they are warning future acquaintances, “Beware, she will have a book or crochet hook in her bag at all times. Actually, she probably has both.”

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Honestly, I just get bored really easily when riding in the car, and when I was growing up, we brought stuff to entertain ourselves on car rides all the time. My mom drove us all around the state to check out different sites and attractions. While we drove, we would listen to audio books or music and play with whatever we had brought. As an adult now, I just play by crocheting or reading the whole drive unless my hubby actually wants to switch drivers, which does happen occasionally.

Now, these may seem like obvious things to bring, but you would be surprised how often I have forgotten one of these tips from the list below! Keep in mind that packing your crochet bag is just as important as packing everything else.

1. Start with your pattern(s)!

When packing crochet for these trips, I first have to think through what project I am bringing. Some of your essentials will depend on pattern requirements, and what patterns you choose and how much crochet time you might have during the trip will determine the essentials you will need to bring.

For example, stitch markers are necessary for some patterns, but not for all of them, and if you want to avoid losing them (like I do sometimes), you may want to leave them home if you won’t need them. However, you may want to bring extra yarn just in case you run out mid-project. We’ll get more into this in later steps, but before you start packing any supplies, just make a mental list of what project, or projects, you want to bring and what you need for them. If you are unsure of what you need for a project, check with the pattern, or patterns, that you are using as they should have a supplies list to help you, and don’t forget to have a copy of your pattern to take with you, whether digital or paper!

Need help choosing which projects to take with you? If you are taking multiple projects, I suggest taking ones that have similar supply requirements. That way you should be able to use some of the same supplies for two or more projects instead of taking everything because you couldn’t choose. Hopefully this will help you consolidate, and leave some extra room for more yarn!

2. Crochet hook(s), of course.

Now, this is obvious, right? You can’t continue your project without the right crochet hook! However, I have been guilty of not reading my pattern well enough to see that I needed two different sizes of hooks. If you finish with one size and don’t bring the other, you may be out of luck for continuing to work on your project. My recommendation is to check your pattern and bring all the hooks required for the project. Honestly, I usually just have all of mine together in a little pouch so they are easy to grab on the go, but if you can’t bring them all, just choose the ones that suit your purposes.

3. Yarn, yarn, and more yarn!

When you are packing for your vacations and trips this summer, I highly suggest thinking about what yarn you will need ahead of time for the crochet projects that will inevitably join you. First, take into account how much time you will have to crochet by asking questions like:

How often will I actually sit and crochet?

What do I want to work on during this trip?

What is the purpose of this trip? Does crochet time fit in with that?

Next, I would think about what project(s) you want to bring. I could live by the mantra that you never can have enough yarn, but I don’t think that’s always the best plan when you are traveling. When I’m on the move, I decide between two different options for travel projects: designs that either are small and use one skein or less of yarn, or big projects (that will most likely be taken by themselves) that I already have the yarn picked out for.

One skein projects are great when you are going on an impulse trip or short drive because they don’t take much time to prepare for the journey and the yarn I need is easy to grab and go with. You literally just need the one skein! The big projects though are so much fun to bring along on a longer drive or trip because normally you’ll have the time to grab all the yarn you will need to take with you, whether from the house or the store, and you can really make some great progress on those drives and during any down time you might have. If you are not sure how much yarn to bring, I suggest looking at the pattern you are using and grabbing the recommended amounts at least.

4. Scissors, or other cutting tool.

Scissors, or other cutting utensils, are necessary for fastening off when you complete a piece, and while I don’t know about you, I often have forgotten to bring mine when I was going on a longer trip because I didn’t think I would need them. Don’t make my mistake! Even if you are sure that you will not need your scissors, just bring them. You never know when your yarn might snag, or there might be a defect in the yarn that you need to cut out, or you might even finish before you expected to! Bringing the scissors is always the smart idea.

The only time I would be hesitant to bring scissors would be on an airplane. You would simply need to check the rules of what you can and cannot bring in your carry-on before leaving and make sure your scissors or cutting utensil match their specifications.

5. Yarn needle to finish it up!

The best part about finishing a project on-the-go is that you get to show it off to everyone! However to finish it properly, you will need to weave in the ends of your design first. To do this, you will need a yarn needle, which is why I try to keep one in my travel essentials bag at all times. You never know when you might finish a project unexpectedly, and whenever I finish a project, I want to use it as soon as possible! Weaving in ends may not be the most fun part of crochet, but I do love the look and feeling I get when it’s done. It is also how I’ve learned to be prepared, and have a yarn needle with me whenever we go somewhere.

6. Extras as necessary…

The extras you might need will vary depending on the patterns you choose to bring with you. For example, my Cute as a Button Hanger pattern calls for a button to be sewn on the front of the hanger, so I would need to bring a button with me to complete this project. Another example might be grabbing stitch markers for a garment, or a tape measure for sizing adjustments. While none of these are necessary all of the time, it is important that you check the supplies section of each pattern to see what you will need for the designs you will be traveling with, and then pack accordingly.

What about you? What do you find necessary when you travel with crochet? Did I miss something you find essential, or do we bring the same things? Let me know in the comments below! Also, feel free to share this list with your crochet friends as well!