Equipment Talk: Twist-a-Light

Well, no progress to report on any new projects, although there are some. I'm just not unveiling them now. Today, I want to talk equipment, specifically task lighting.

I bought the Twist-a-Light from The Stitchery looking for something to add a dedicated light so I could stitch easier. I'm getting older and my eyes aren't as good as they were 20 years ago (whose are?) and thought the Twist-a-Light would be the perfect option. It wasn't.

The Twist-a-Light worked all right but went through a battery in about 36 hours, and that was only using it for about 3-4 hours of the 36. I thought there was something wrong -- more wrong than being an energy hog -- and I was right. I had put the light in the bag where I keep current projects and happened to look up one evening and there was a blue light shining in the bag. It was the Twist-a-Light. Not good. I thought I'd left the light on and that's why it was running through batteries so quickly -- even the Coppertop batteries I always buy. Not so. The light had a short in it.

I contacted The Stitchery and they sent me a free replacement; it took more than a week, but I did get it and tried it out. The light was great. Using both lights put a beacon right where I needed it, with a bit of adjusting, and the seeming short in one of the flexible arms turned out to be an anomaly, I hoped. It doesn't stay on when I turn the light off, but it still goes through batteries about one every 2-3 days. Not good.

The light is powerful, as long as the battery lasts, which isn't very long. It is a power hog even without the short. My suggestion is having a lot of rechargeable batteries available for this one. Regular batteries won't do.

The rubber tubing of the arms gets warm, as does the plastic battery cache, and can become a little uncomfortable, but not to the point of burning you if it rests on the skin.

My grade: C- 

The Twist-a-Light is a great idea but needs more work, especially with power and insulation. I'd suggest getting a dedicated light, possibly with a magnifying glass to shine on small weave fabrics, and plug it into an outlet. It's the safest and best way. Mobility is limited, but you won't spend a fortune going through Coppertops or Evereadys and won't have to invest in rechargeable batteries and charging stations.

The Twist-a-Light