The Toolbox
I have about a month before my apartment gets out-priced and won't be approved by Housing for my lease to be renewed. This has been an ongoing battle for 3 years. The market rents are in the 1500.00 a month range for my apartment and Housing allows about 1,000.00 a month. It is a nationwide problem, and has very many people, working, non-working, and disabled, all facing homelessness.
What I have been doing for the last three years is being prepared to live in a tent. With my Service Dog, and still being able to make Quilts For Veterans. The fact that I have TBI and PTSD has made this both much more difficult (because I am less and less like other people), and yet, somewhat easier (I have nothing left to lose in many ways). The threat of not having a warm bed, a hot meal, clean water, can be extremely debilitating for anyone. For those of us with PTSD, it can be life-threatening because many of us don't have the same skills we had prior to the accident or event that left us disabled. But this isn't about the difficulty. It's about using the tools we can make ourselves, the tools we have a natural skill to use.
I have a green metal toolbox that holds the hand-carved tools I have made in order to continue taking care of myself and also be able to make quilts should I be living in a tent. The quilts are easy- fabric, batting, needle and thread. The Service Dog sets for Veterans need lucets , spool kntting , hand-spun wool, and cotton warp. There are many other tools I was able to carve from my Eastern White Pine, and in fact I would have had more, except some of the branches had to be destroyed due to aphids. If you are facing homelessness, civilian or Veteran, maybe you also could use a tool box like this to make your own things.
Needed: yarn for some items, fabric as needed, wool for spinning if you choose to use all American-made yarns. You will also need to add hand sewing needles and thread.
The toolbox and large branch lucet :
The toolbox is all metal and lockable .
The tools: Large spool knitter made with keys for pins. Small spool knitter. These two items can make ropes, pillows, mats, rugs, and if woven, bands.
Double-point Knitting Needles: Sizes 15, 13, 8, 6, 4 - these can make socks, sweaters, vests, blankets, scarves, hats, mittens, and dog comfort collars
Large and small lucets : These make the place markers for the Service Dog sets, ropes, cords for tying smaller items, leashes, and necklaces and bracelets.
Belt-width backstrap weaving loom: Belts, leashes, bands, strips of woven fabric for batting, narrow flat straps for bundling objects like a bedroll. Strips can also be sewn into ponchos.
Spindle made of a dowel and pewter wire whorl: for spinning wool or cotton fiber.
Yarn sewing needle: sewing yarn
Crochet hooks: Sizes Q and G - for afghans , faceclothes , ponchos, granny square mats or rugs, etc...
Added: two bobbin boxes with thread for sewing (hand-quilting thread), and a small green sewing kit (Korean War replica kit) as well as my own needle book with plenty of hand-sewing needles.
What I would be leaving behind: a sewing machine, my spinning wheels , my larger weaving looms, my knitting box, my sewing boxes, my crochet boxes, my hundred or so spool knitters and about 15 lucets .
In addition to what is here now, I can tweek this set anytime I want by keeping a simple jack-knife with me for additional carving, as well as some small blocks of Sculpey clay to add to any tools or make a new heddle for the backstrap loom.
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