McSilvio

hi all. im trying to make a pair of earphones that look like the earplugs from work. the earplugs are connected by a red plastic "wire" that is the same thickness of wire that is commonly found in earphones. i took some earphones and cutand stripped the end so I could show someone at my local components store (which is probably the biggest in canada). they said that they didnt have the wire and that it would be hard to find. i tried three more big component stores and they all said the same thing? my question to the boards is, how do i go about a) getting this earphone wire or b) colouring the plastic cover on a store bought pair of earphones. many many thanks, Marco.