I swear that's not what it said a couple days ago! I found this summary on Daily Knitter: http://www.dailyknitter.com/article2.html. That's what the TSA site said when I read it.
I am relieved myself. I'm currently knitting a shawl on a very long circular needle and am off to DragonCon in less than two weeks. I may transfer it off to a smaller circular before I leave, just to be safe.
I've never had a single problem, but apparently if you're going to have issues they'll be ameliorated by using circular needles instead of straights. (No, I have no idea why. But as I'm a fan of metal circs, even for back-and-forth work, that works out well for me. :-) )
I have to admit, circular needles and DPNs confuse me. I taught myself to knit waaaaaaaaay back in grade school from an old book my mom had....I really need to take a class or something. :D
Plastic kids' scissors, even the kind with metal rims on the blades, can be tossed into your carry-on without causing problems. And in case they ever suddenly do for some reason, you've only lost a cheap pair of scissors rather than your good pinking shears.
We took a trip in 2004, and I packed lots of crafts for my young daughter in her carry-on. I included a pair of blunt plastic scissors, no metal at all. They pulled it out of the x-ray machine for further screening by TSA. Lemme tell ya, those people are VERY serious. The screener addressed all of her questions to my 7-year-old, because it was her bag. Daughter was freaking out, thinking she'd be hauled off to jail. I started to reach for the pocket the scissors were in (I purposely packed them in a front pocket all alone), and the screener nearly took my hand off. "DON'T TOUCH THE BAG!!!" So now I pack anything scissors-like in my checked luggage. :/
Plastic vs wood vs metal knitting needles is mostly a matter of personal preference. As a new knitter I'd suggest you buy or borrow a pair of each and try them out anyway, travel concerns aside; you might suddenly realize they work better for you than even metal.
Thanks for the advice...I've read that bamboo is easier on the hands for some people. The metal needles make my fingers ache, which might be why I rarely finish larger projects.
If you are having problems with the needles, then definitely try different ones. My first attempt was with metal and it nearly stopped me from becoming a knitter! I swapped over to casein needles, and now also use bamboo & wood (KnitPicks Harmony), I do have metal needles, but they are for the smaller needle sizes because I'm nervous about snapping really fine wooden ones! Every knitter is different with needle preference, there is no right or wrong, only what works for you! Hopefully you'll have happier hands with different needles =)
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I've never had a problem, but I tend to use wood or bamboo needles almost exclusively.
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Thanks for the new link, though. :D
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In doing a further search, I found this amusing post on the TSA blog
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Have a good trip!
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