So far, knock on wood, I hadn’t had my needles taken by TSA. I’ve traveled to France, London,Scotland and Ireland. But the best advice is to travel with a stitch holder, and don’t argue with them…
I also have used circle needles there were wooden.
Best on your trip.
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A year or two before Covid, I had my knitting bag searched EXTENSIVELY by 2 male “TSA” agents at Heathrow (London) while changing flights. I told them I had just come off a flight with the needles, etc. but made no headway. They were just about to rip off my knitting and throw the needles away when a female agent came out, took the knitting out of their hands, and said, “Oh, for heaven’s sake, it’s just her knitting!” and handed the whole thing back to me.
So, ever since, I only fly with wooden or bamboo needles which they can’t see on the x-ray machine. Better safe than sorry.
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I have never had needles taken away of any kind, and I’ve travelled with them for many years. My neighbor, though, lost a really nice pair of Addi turbos in Mexico - which seems to be a reccurent theme.
I usually have wood or bamboo needles but I’m not sure it makes a difference. Do put your scissors in checked bags to avoid losing those.
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I think you are making a good point about traveling with wood or bamboo needles. It’s one less issue if they don’t show up on the x-ray machine.
I’ve traveled recently through Canada and the States with Lantern Moon needles and luckily wasn’t challenged at any of the airports.
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I recently flew to South Africa (highly recommend) via Europe (London one way, Paris the other). No problem with knitting needles OR a small pair of scissors. My husband, on the other hand, lost a pair of scissors (designed for bandages, I think) from his first aid kit. I actually had meant to leave MY scissors home. My project was the Honeycomb scarf, which IS a great piece of travel knitting - all you need is your yarn and the project on the needles, and hours and hours to knit. Have a great trip!
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Yes- traveling from Guatemala City to US. And they were quite adamant that I couldn t bring yarn home from Guatemala- it was an agricultural product right up there with meat, cheese and fruit!!
Very frustrating experience, but as others have said, I think it s very dependent on the agent you get who inspects your bag.
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Wow! I’ve never had yarn taken. What a shame!
I try to fold up the cords with the needles and put into a pencil case where i store my work pens etc. I just leave the project on a piece of yarn to hold (another cord with stops at the end would also work). I travel every week, sometimes in the US and sometimes overseas. Was in the EU in September and no issues with my needles, on this trip. However I have had knitting scissors taken all around the world (even foldable ones), Hong Kong, China, London Heathrow, and US. It really seems to depend on the mood of the officer checking. However I have discovered a round circular thing with embedded blades, looks a little like a large coin and cuts like a charm.
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Thanks for all the responses. As was predicted, I had no issues flying to, from and within Europe, and that was true even though my project was on metal needles. The smoked paprika I brought back from Spain in my carryon, on the other hand, caused quite the commotion!
In the future, I’ll make sure I’m using wooden needles when I fly. And if I’m going to Mexico, I’ll leave my knitting at home!
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I just wouldn’t go to Mexico! 
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I’ve not lost needles but I also pack back ups in my luggage and have either a stitch holder or scrap yarn ready if I need to give up the needles. As someone else mentioned, I use children’s scissors in my bags. I have been pulled aside and my bag extensively searched coming home from Israel for a pair of scissors I didn’t know I had. I couldn’t find them in my bag even though you could see them on the screen. Eventually they let me go on, and I found them later in the waiting area because I was really puzzled myself at that point!
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On a Jan 2, 2023 trip back from Mexico City, Mexico City airport security officers refused to allow my metal Addi fixed circulars in my carryon bags, but luckily I had enough time to move them and their attached work (TTAT socks on US0 needles, and a hat on US2) from my handbag into my roll-on, check the roll-on in, and go through security again. I had 3 pairs of needles with me, and replacing them would have cost much more than the bag check fee. US air security, both to and from Mexico, didn’t worry about them at all.
I’ve had an Australian flight attendant, during a flight from Sydney to Perth in Australia, insist I put my wooden (!) knitting needles away, as a “potential danger to the pilot”, although they had gotten through security just fine. Other attendants on the flight would have let me alone.
So, I suggest, plan to check all your knitting when flying outside of the US, or on any plane that has non-American flight attendants. It’s just too unpredictable. It doesn’t seem to matter if the needles are metal or wood, because it’s totally dependent on whoever is in control that day.
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No, I’ve been on domestic and flight to Puerto Vallarta and no problem. Often the flight attendant comes by to ask about what I’m making and how they’d like to learn how to knit. A conversation starter for sure. But maybe it’s my white hair. (?)
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That is scary to hear! I’ve flown for years many places (not MX lately tho) and never had a problem. As Jcarney wrote, most flight attendants ask about my knitting and one was down on her knees under my seat helping me look for a DPN. I did have scissors taken away in MX years ago and a tiny penknife that was my dad’s in Phoenix. They mailed it back to me however, which I was so grateful for.
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MX looked at the folding scissors in my KnitKit dubiously, but in the end decided they were OK. However, since this kit was inside one of my knitting project bags, it still ended up with it in checked luggage. It’s marvellous that they mailed your penknife back to you.
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I travel frequently in the US for work/family trips and this year have traveled internationally twice. I always have knitting with me and have never had needles taken away, whether metal or wood. That said, my carryon bag has several times been pulled aside for further examination so I do try to add in a little bit of time for that.
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I’ve not had issues between the US and Japan. From the little research I’ve done it seems Mexico is the big no right now. I think France was on the list too, and years ago, Qantas didn’t allow knitting. It really seems to matter who is checking your bags. I always make sure I have cheaper interchangeables for my carry on project just in case.
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I don’t understand the concern about knitting needles when you are free to bring pens and pencils on board. I was recently on call for jury duty in Los Angeles and they specifically ban knitting needles.
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Once, flying Kennedy to Heathrow, the gentleman in front of us had his needles taken, but we (women) got through no problem. I’ve heard from family in the know, that wooden circs & dpns look the least threatening.
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I’ve even had a TSA dude reach into the bottom of my purse and pull out a big handful of standard writing pens and accuse me with “This is a a LOT of pens!” I just shrugged and said, “I’m a writer!” He let me go, with all my writing implements. Sheesh. Oh, maybe he was thinking that the pen is mightier than the sword!
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