From the category archives:

Winter routines/Protection from the cold

The folks at HatSoMe sent me a couple of loaner hats to try out (you can see my other posts about HatSoMe here and here). I just finished drying my tears as I repackaged them to be sent back. But, I did get to try them out and they are fantastic.

The first thing I worry about with items made of fabric is the quality. I’ve had an off and on relationship with sewing, quilting, and crocheting so, as a result, I have certain standards. I can’t stand shoddy workmanship. Fortunately, this was not something I had to worry about with HatSoMe.

The hats I was sent are very well made, from what I can see. The knitting looks great and the lining is well done. I was really worried about the lining because I’ve seen linings just half-arsed thrown into too many items. Next thing you know, your lining is literally hanging on by a thread.

Now, of course, I am no expert and can’t vouch for the life of the hats long term, but they look to be pretty sturdy.

I loved, loved, loved this first hat. It was probably my favorite. (You can see the hat here).  I liked it because the knit felt so soft, it fit my head really well, and it was super cute. The stones and gems also give it a unique flair. In the day that I wore it, I got a ton of compliments.

Mostly, it felt great wearing a hat like that (ie something warm!)  and not worrying about my hair underneath or having to apply my satin bonnet beforehand.

The sizing on this one is medium-large, according the site. I have a big head and even bigger hair, so I need a nice sized hat.

(Side note: My daughter went for her one year check up and they said her head circumference is in the 95th percentile. That’s a big ole head! I said to the doctor “Yeah, that’s all me right there”)

The cost is $39.95, it’s an acrylic blend and comes in pink, grey, and taupe.

The next hat I tried was a pink cable knit with speckles (I friggin’ love cable knit!). I loved the hat…from afar. It did not fit well on my head. The website says the size is medium. It was a tight squeeze when my hair was in twists and it was uncomfortable once my hair was in a big twist out. I think the model wearing the hat in the picture has a TWA or fade, so it fits her nicely.

My best friend has a normal sized head (she sports locs) and it fit her pretty well too. It costs about 30 bucks and is available in other colors that include black and white.

Close up of lining and rim of hat

Hat turned inside out. Close up of lining.

Next was the hooded scarf.

I aint gonna lie.

This thing was gorgeous on me.

I loved it! Not only is it very unique but is toasty warm. I wore it on a trip to an outside shopping mall. When I’d go in the shops, I’d take the hood off and still have on a fashionable looking scarf. Very well suited for my bigger hair styles and also my bun.

Here are my only negatives. First,  I noticed that it did “ride up” a few times, making the point of the hood stick up in the air. A quick readjust and it was all good. I’m sure I could’ve tucked it some kind of way that would’ve permanently helped the situation but my laziness coupled with trying to keep my 1 year old from ripping her hat off stopped me from putting in any serious effort ;)

Close up of hooded scarf-satin lining

Entire hooded scarf

The other issue was that the satin will not protect all of your hair if comes to/past your shoulders. As you can see from the pictures above, there’s only a certain amount of satin so you have to still watch your ends if your hair is a certain length.

It’s made of a nice and  sturdy , but soft, wool/acrylic blend. The cost is about 50 bucks and it comes in other colors. There are also some other styles of knit if you don’t like the one featured.

Anyhoo, thanks to HatSoMe for letting me try these out. I will no doubt be making a purchase soon, once I can figure out which one I want.

HatSoMe was also kind enough to provide Newly Natural readers with a holiday discount! Use the code HsNN10 and receive 10 percent off your entire purchase (this is really awesome because I think they have a sale going on too!) The code expires December 31, 2011. 

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I apologize for not having blogged in awhile. I hate that I have so much to say but sometimes not enough time to sit down and commit 100 percent of my time to blogging. I will do better!

It’s time for winter or, as it has become known around here, ashy-skin-dry-hair season. And once again we reach for those hats and scarves that suck the moisture from our hair. A great way to stop this is with satin lined or silk lined hats.

For your viewing pleasure, here again are some sites that sell these types of hats as they can sometimes be hard to find.

You’ve seen me blog about Hats So Me before. Well they are back this year with more new designs.

Gorgeous!! And, sometimes more importantly, they look nice and warm. You can choose from berets, fedoras, knit hooded scarves, newsboy hats, and just plain scarves.

Next we have Curly Zebra, a company I’ve also blogged about in the past. They sell mostly kids hats but also make adult sizes. They also have some designs for this winter.

Very cute! The styles include pillbox, chullo, and stocking hats. The prices range from $20-$25 with occasional clearance items at $15.

My little girl’s hair is quick to go awry after wearing a hat, so I really need to get her a silk/satin lined hat. I will actually probably be ordering from this next Etsy business: Mustard Seed Creations.

I’ll just be honest. I’m probably ordering from this shop as opposed to CurlyZebra because of the great price. These hat range from $9-$12. I haven’t witnessed the quality to compare them, however.

I still haven’t tried Hatsome so I can’t vouch for the quality though I’ve heard reviews that they are pretty good.

Anyway, I’m always on the lookout for new satin/silk lined hats so if you know of any, please share in the comment section!

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Email from Chana:

Hi Kcurly,

I have been natural for about a year now, and I wear a wash and go everyday, b/c I have no clue how to do anything else, and I love my curl pattern so I’m scared I will disturb it.  I know it probably sounds crazy, but I’m new to this.  My regimen includes co-washing with Tresemme Naturals avocado conditioner, leave in is Oyin honey hemp, moisturizer Ohm sweet hair pudding, and styler KCCC.  I was using Afroveda, but I saw the price hike, and I won’t be purchasing anytime soon!  I am finishing my first year of nursing school, and being natural is great, but I feel like I’m not doing enough for my hair? I have attached some pics ( i did not put anything on my hair today, and it has not been washed in 2wks :( ), I would greatly appreciate any suggestions…Thanks sooooooooooo much!

Chana

Chana!

Your hair is beautiful girl. Love the color too :)

Questions for you: Does your hair feel healthy to you? Are you happy with it? Does wearing wash n go’s  fit into your lifestyle?

If the answer to all of these is “yes” then I wouldn’t change a thing. You are in nursing school, also known (officially) as the depths of Hell. Whatever is easiest for you is what I would stick to (unless you’re looking for a change).

As for damaging your curl pattern, the only things that are likely to do that are chemicals and heat damage. As your hair gets longer sometimes the pattern changes because of the weight of the hair. Styles such as twists, braids, twist outs, etc are not going to change your pattern.

If wash n go’s are what your hair likes, it’s thriving, and you like wearing them, then I say stick with them. I personally can not do a lot of wash n go’s because I experience knots and dryness but everyone is different. You seem to have a solid routine that works for you. If you want to change things up without trying a different style, you can always sport some new hair accessories. If you’d like to try some new styles, the only thing I can suggest is to pick a style, view a tutorial and  get to practicing!  :)

Email from Lucy:

Hello Kcurly,

I just stumbled on your blog today whilst researching what to do now I’ve done the big chop. to read about it pls click here: http://theprincesspoetslifeadventures.blogspot.com/2010/12/i-actually-did-it-my-big-chop.html

I love your blog! I researched and everything but I still feel like I haven’t gotten a hang of a regime. I know to give myself time as I only bc on Sunday! But going to work everyday especially here in the UK with our stupid Wintery weather, I don’t think it is smart to wash & go everyday but I don’t know what to do to revive me mashed up hair. Do you think spritzing it with water or a leave-in will help?

I also wanted to ask about your life as a SAHM, I’m intending on staying home when my lil bean is born & would like some advice/tips on motherhood in general?

Thank you so much,

Lucy aka princesspoet!

Heya Lucy. Congrats on your BC!

I hate having a wet head in the winter too, so I can’t blame you for not wanting to do wash n go’s everyday. A spritz or leave in is definitely an option. It’s something you may have to play around with. I find that applying your product, scrunching it in very well, and then shaking the hair out helps to refresh the hair.

However I’d probably go for a protective style. I don’t know how much hair you will have, but some fingercoils or twists would eliminate the need for frequent washing.

As for the mothering thing, it’s something I’m still really learning. I will tell you this: Two is a lot different than one! You will have a lot of people telling you how to raise your child, but remember that the only “right” way is the way that you feel in your heart is right. I do listen to advice, research the subject, and then make my decisions.  I breastfeed, I cloth diaper, I more than likely will homeschool, so I know about getting flack for parenting styles.

My general pieces of advice are to get as much rest as you can, try to get some “me” time in, try not to go crazy, try not to kill the baby’s father…and love every minute of it :)

Email from Sandra:

Hi Kcurly,

I went to the hairdresser last night for the big chop and she said no.  That she thought I would not like it.  So here I am today searching for more reinforcement.  I believe I am ready.  I have about 2 inches of new growth but just wanted it shaved down.  She was like my edges are extremely thin and it would not be a good look.  What do you think?  Please give me your opinion.  I was thinking once I get down to the hair on my scalp I could see and take care of my edges and scalp better.

I am ready but she made me feel like I would look crazy.

Sandra

She said no??! I’m really stumped over why these stylists are refusing to do a service that they are paid to perform. I suppose some of them feel that a drastic cut will devastate the client and they would rather not deal with a potential problem. Oh well…

Onto your question…I don’t tell people to chop, but if it were me, I would BC. Your edges are going to be thin either way. (By the way, are your edges really that thin or was this just her excuse?) I suppose she means that the advantage of not chopping would be that you could hide your edges with the rest of your hair? That is true, but if I were feeling that self conscious about thin edges, I’d get a few silk or satin scarves to rock while my edges grew in. Or I would just rock it and tell anyone who made a comment they could go kick rocks :)

It’s not really important what I (or the stylist) thinks though, it’s all about you. Please let me know what you decide :)

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Thanks to Coveryourhair for sending me this cool snood. I love wearing snoods when I have twists in my hair and, as you can see, I always let a little bit peek out in the front. This is also a good idea if you’re working on a time intensive style: You can just do the front, put in a couple of big twists and/or pin up the back, pop on your snood (or hat of your choice) and go about your business without anyone being the wiser.

No this is not the snood! LOL! This is the satin bonnet that I wear under hats to protect my twists from drying out.

These snoods feel very durable and have a bit of stretch to them.

Wearing a nice hat allows you to take your time while doing your hair, so you're not trapped in the house held hostage by your hair.

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