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Here's a covering I put together a few weeks ago.  My plans were to put together something that felt comfortable, secure, and inspiring.  I ended up with this wrap, using 2 rectangular scarves, one ribbon, and a hair clip.

I wrapped the first scarf, and tied it in the back, with two equal ends.  I used a smaller scarf for the second one, so I tied it quite unevenly- with one long end, and one so-short-it-almost-didn't-exist end.  I took the 3 hanging tails (2 from the first scarf, and 1 from the second), and wrapped a ribbon around one of the ends, and braided it.  I secured the braid, and tied the excess ribbon into a bow.  The accessory was just a random throw-on, it felt right, and I wanted to bring the colors together with my mostly-black outfit, as well.

How's That for A Hat (or Veil)?

The article this links to isn't much- but take a look at the bride's covering(s).  How's that for a hat?  Or a veil?  Or a hat+veil?  Take a look particularly at the 5th and, most clearly, 7th photographs.

Medieval-esque

Remember my first attempt with wrapping a scarf-braid around my head? I promised to let you know what happened with a braid with more different strands.  Here's the result, with a five-stranded braid, using 5 different scarves (some quite thin, as I didn't want to turn into the braid-head monster):

 The braid is made using the tutorial here, which is very easy to understand and to carry off.

I secured the first end with a hair clip, while I braided, then brought the ends together at the back of my head and used a hair elastic, covered with a scrunchie, to secure the ends.  The tails have a lot of bulk, rather reminiscent of a decorative head-band I saw on a little girl at shul recently- it had lots of ribbons hanging down in the back.




My impression was that it looked sort of like we imagine the Medieval period (rather than like what it was actually like, which I'm less sure of).

It's fun, and it's something you can make in advance, then take off, and slip back on later.  Good perhaps for packing to transform yourself from work clothes to something more festive.

Shabbos Tails

This was a recent Shabbos style- two scarves, one headband.  The fun is that all the "work" is done with one scarf, with one tail wrapped over the head.  The other scarf just weaves in and out of that band, ties behind the ear.  It makes a nice accent on the head, and some bulk below for those of us who sometimes miss having hair hanging down.

 It makes a lot of effect in front, without a lot of layers to have to worry about.  And it adds some height without being overwhelming.

I tend not to like tails hanging down for work days, they tend to say romantic rather than professional to me.  For shabbos or a party, I adore them, and this style definitely provides.

 This is a side view, so you see how the thing came together structurally.

And apparently, neither Haggai nor I noticed that I had a tag sticking up...  Oh well.  You see my flaws as well as my creativity.

Spiritual Functioning of the Kippah

I was talking to my husband about how he felt about wearing a kippah.  What we came up with was this:

Wearing a kippah is about a baseline.  It isn't so noticeable in itself, but it means that taking it off is a signal to yourself.  Taking it off, or disguising it, means that what you're doing is likely to be questionable.

 Sometimes, questioning it may yield the answer that you're answering to another Jewish value that makes doing something that is halakhically marginal appropriate (for example, going into a non-kosher restaurant to be with your family).






Sometimes, it turns out to be a reminder that actually, this isn't a good choice.

But either way, without the baseline, you don't have the reminder.  It makes an awareness of other people's gaze into a reminder of God's gaze.

What message does your kippah (or devotional head-covering practice) send you? 

 How do you feel about it?  

Using Braids

As a kid, I wore my hair in braids pretty much all the time.  Really- one braid or two, usually french-braided, was my go-to for years.  I'd brush my hair, then go sit down in front of my mother's bed, and she'd braid my hair while she listened to NPR and I read.

I have a long history with braids, in other words.  And I love them, they're beautiful.  I enjoy playing with different braids for challah, and braiding the dangly edging of my scarves when I'm bored.

I also love playing with braids on my coverings.  In the past, I've braided the ends of my scarves, or taken those braided ends and wrapped it around a bun.

This time, I made a braid first, then tied it on around my head.

This one was four-stranded, made of two scarves folded in half and looped together, and sort of improvised.  You could just as easily group two ends together, and make a regular three-stranded braid.

I'm going to play with some larger flat braids, and see what they look like (stay tuned).  So far, this looks like a nice way of dressing up a plain scarf, using some of those scarves that are too thin to use for a covering on their own.  Add it to the list of ways to use a narrow scarf (or two).