the black hole here seems to be a trash can - have one at every place I have scissors, etc.

This happens to me all the time. I have gremlins that are bound and determined to make me lose what little mind I have left. They do this all the time with my measuring tape, scissors, and pretty much anything else I am using. There is also 1 whose sole responsibility is to move my glasses.

There's a gremlin loose in my house and car and garage and...you get the idea!

I was so tired of misplacing things, especially rulers. I bought a ruler caddy. It's a slotted stand that I keep on the right hand side of my sewing table. When I am done with the ruler, back in the caddy it goes. At the end of a cutting session, I file that ruler before I leave that table.

My sewing machine drawer holds 3 seam rippers and that's so there is always a spare. Problem solved.

Yup - I feel your pain. I have five seam rippers and sometimes I can not find even one!! I even "lost" a pattern. Of course I found it immediately after I purchased a new one!!

I AT ONE TIME HAD 5 SEAM RIPPERS. THEN I WENT TO GET ONE AND ALL I HAD WAS 5 COVERS AND NO RIPPERS. TOOK ME A WHILE BUT FOUND 4 OF THEM. I FIGURED WITH MY RECORD THEY JUST GOT TIRED OF WORKING SO MUCH THEY RAN AND HID. lololol

I have 5 sm rprs that are in different areas. Expensive scissors in 2 different places. On the right side of my machine I have a bowl with odds & ends in there. Next to my machine on the floor I have one of those plastic, 4 drawer carts & everything is organized in there. Little itmes pins, needles..... in the top, 2nd drawer has clips, pigma pens, etc, 3rd drawer has gloves & all sorts of scissors, 2 pr of rag scissors & the last drawer has my Bernina BSR & book. I can move this around & also use the top to keep my serger on so from machine I go to that when I need it. :) :) :)

I have one of those too. The room is only so big so that means sewing room black holes must transfer things to the same dimension as the sock black hole. :!:

How come the covers NEVER seem to get lost?

I attach a small pc of hook & loop to my seam ripper and the other piece to my machine or on the table right beside the machine. At least, I don't knock it off if I PUT it there.