Three Things I Could Really Use...*

I typed out and sent a letter to my mother recently. The letter was mostly a list of things I need, which mom had requested. I suspect she didn't think my list would be quite so lengthy. I won't bore you with the pots, pans, and silverware I'd like, but you find the sewing and knitting-related items amusing:

1. Another pair of headset earphones for my telephone. I’ve one in my office, but another one would be great for my marathon personal telephone calls. I despise sitting there on my couch, doing nothing with my hands, while I’m on the phone yakking away about men, the lack of dates, good food, movies, men, and the lack of dates (in that order). I like to be productive. I’m confident I could multi-task especially when it comes to knitting, a “quiet” hobby. I could turn out socks, hats, and other things while I gossip! Yes, I could get the latest lowdown on Mel Gibson and Britney Spears while I’m on the phone. No one would even know I fulfilled my need to know while I made a hat especially for them. Now who was it that said “Idle hands are the devil’s delight” or something similar? He or she would be so right if they knew about the usefulness of telephone headsets to spread slander.

2. Ott-Lite! This is something I could really use for sewing and knitting. I was ripping out not one but two line of stitching on a dress hem this weekend, and it was such a bear with the weak lights I have in my house (I need to get all lights to take strength-training courses so that they can be stronger.) There I was using a magnifying glass and a seam ripper. If you were here you would have heard the following: rip, rip. “Oops, I tore the fabric. What am I going to do now?” Another rip, rip, rip. “This is going to take forever. I guess I can’t wear this dress to Vogue Fabrics today.” Rip. “Uh oh, I’m going to miss my train. I better stop now.” Snip, tear, snip. “I think I’ve missed that train. I rather finish this now.” Five hours passed, dusk has settled in. “Finally, I’m done. This would have gone so much faster if I only had an Ott-Lite (the floor-lamp variety). Likewise, (recently) I was pulling out some stitches on my latest knitting adventure, a short-sleeved top worked in the round. My nose was nearly buried in the yarn, it’s that difficult to see. But I frogstitched my way out of trouble, and back to the beginning. Yes, this spring-weight top will be ready by fall, if I’m lucky, but aren’t I always? I found two pennies on the street this morning.

3. A fabric organizer. This would resemble the shoe-rack.* But it would be much larger to accommodate the growing fabric stash, which still has yet to rival the Willow Road landfill. My stash is considerably smaller, really, it might look more like the laundry “hills” that used to accumulate in the basement of our house on Washington Street. But even those mini-mountains got reduced with sheer effort! With my fabric organizer cabinet I could view all my incredible finds, and consequently make more of an effort to use it all before all the ice caps melt in the next decade. Then I’ll least have something to wear while I’m sitting on a rapidly dwindling ice cube in the middle of Lake Michigan. You see, you have to think ahead to prepare those days you never thought would come. Yes, I’ll be fashionably attired when the beach arrives at my Wolcott Street address. I may not be able to sell my condo any time soon, but at least be able to say truthfully that I have a Lakefront Location, which could boost the value of my property. Hah!
* I had mentioned I wanted a shoe rack: a box with cubby holes. **The fabric swatch above? It's part of a wrap-dress I'm finishing. Tonight I'm hemming it if I don't fall asleep. I feel ready to fall asleep and it's only 7 p.m.