CROCHET HATS!

http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/70779AD.html


It`s been one whole year and my hats do not fit! I went to every store I could think of to find tams and news boy hats. I found a black knit news boy hat, but I could not find a brown hat anywhere! I went into the attic to find my crochet hooks and searched the internet for tams and newsboy hats.


Lion Brand Yarns had the most tam hat patterns and they were free! I spent $2.50 on a news boy pattern at their site, but I did not like how it was coming along. I found a web site that had nothing but free crochet hat patterns. I also found some patterns on small website.





http://fifthavemag.com/crochet


My mom taught me had to crochet when I was between 9-10 yrs old! She would crochet up a storm! She would make a hat and a scarf in a few hours. That was one of our private times together. One of those precious times when we bonded. Today, she is still making hats ,scarves, afgans and etc. Thank God For Mothers!




HOW TO CROCHET!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVBnFHGbeK4

http://learntocrochet.lionbrand.com/


How To Crochet a Hat

http://www.expertvillage.com/video/111305_how-start-crocheting-hat.htm


Free Crochet Hat patterns

http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/directory/hats.php

http://www.crochettoday.com/pdfs/septoct08fp.pdf

Taliah Waajid Black Earth Products

I read on numerous blogs about Taliah Waajid`s Black earth products. Before I locked, I was a hair product junkie. I used nexxus to mizani. To tell you the truth, they all worked for a hot minute before I had to switch products again!




Since I have been locked. I have used minimal products. I use only natural products on my hair and skin. One to ten months, I used Knotty Boy Dread shampoo bar. I love that shampoo! It lasted one year, until one of my sons mistook the bar for a regular bar of soap. Their body must have been tingling all over!

I use Aubrey organics green tea clarifying shampoo once a month. This shampoo is very drying! Since I could not use conditioner yet, I would have to do a second wash with the Knotty Boy. Ten months to present, I would use BWC ( Beauty Without Cruelty) tea tree, mint, and rosemary shampoo scalp and hair treatment. A very good product. My scalp would tingle! I would follow with the BWC conditioner.

When I was surfing the net to research the ingredients in the Black Earth products, I found a beauty supply site that was offering the products for $3-$4 of the original price.

I purchased the Total Body Black Earth shampoo for $4.99, the Enhancing Herbal conditioner for $7.00, and the Herbal Strengthener $3.99. With the S&H the total was 23.65. Not bad compared to the original prices on Taliah Waajid`s website.

When I received the products, I was not happy with the ingredients in the herbal strengthener. It is based in petroleum. I gave the product away! What a waste of money. You can not get a total list of the ingredients on her web site or on any that sold her products.

Child! When I opened the shampoo, I was surprise to see black goo drip out the bottle! I said " WHAT THE HELL ?!!! Well that black goo is da bomb! My locs never felt so good! My locs usually tangle after I shampoo them. This stuff made them soft and manageable! I followed with the conditioner ( as Doc Camille said to do!). I`am very happy with Black Earth Products. I`am very careful of what I place in my locs. Yeah, the shampoo has a little SLS , but I think its worth the over site! Any way, it smells delicious!

Total Body Black Earth Shampoo

Ingredients: Pure Distilled Water, Natural Herbs, Indian Hemp, Olive Oil, Wheat Germ, Yarrow Root, Sodium Laureate Sulfate, Rosemary, African herbal Complex, Sea Salt, Sage, Silk protein, Corn Oils, Corn Silk, Vitamin E, Fruit Bio-flavoniods, Bay Laurel, Cocomide ( Coconut- Bio-Flavonoid).

Enhancing herbal Conditioner

Ingredients: Pure distilled Water, Anise, capsicum Oil, Olive Oil, Wheat Germ, Bees Wax, Aloe Vera, Walnut Oil, Cherry bark, Calendula, Thyme, Kiola, Quine seed complex, Vitamin E, Silk protein, Apple extract, lavender Extract, balsam canada, Bay laurel, fruit Bio-flavonoid.

The Strengthener

ingredients: Pure Distilled Water, Petroleum, Natural Herbs, Indian hemp, yarrow Root, Rosemary, Chickweed, nettle, Herbal complex, Burdock, Coltsfoot, sage, Chamomile, Vitamin E, Bio-Flavoniods, fruit Fragrance, bay Laurel.

My Locs First Birthday!

Its my locs first birthday! I never thought I would ever be locked! I loves seeing dread heads including my son! I just needed non-traditional locs for a non-traditional woman. I saw small locs for the first time in my life, a year and two months ago. Maybe before that, I was not paying attention to locs. Living in a city, where locs are abundant, I `am not sure why I did not have a small locs sighting.

When I first locked, my co-workers could not believe their eyes! I never wore one particular hairstyle for more than two weeks. I have braided, flat twist, dyed, weaved, french rolled, finger waved, and everything else you can do to hair! One co-worker said " No! Not the Diva! " My co-workers made a bet that I would not last three months! Here I`am! Locked for one year!

There were times that I was not happy with my locs. I had slippage, unravelling, and bunching issues! I almost took my locs down twice. The last time, my family at lovinlocs came to my rescue! Thank God, I came to my senses. I would have been very disappointed sistah! My dreadlocks journey has humbled me. It has made me develop patience. In this instant gratification world, I have literally slowed down to smell the roses!

Even though I do not agree with the cult like practices of sisterlocks, I do have to give them credit for my decision to lock. If it were not for those small locks, I would probably still be addicted to the creamy white crack!

Truly love my locs! I would not trade my journey for my locs for nothing in the world!

I have been Tagged By New2Locs

I have been tagged by http://new2locs.blogspot.com/

THE RULES!

1. Link the person who tagged you.

2. Post the rules on your blog.

3. Share 6 non important facts/habits/quirks about yourself.

4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blog.

5. let them each know they have been tagged by leaving a comment.

ABOUT ME!

1. I love to watch Project Runway, Kimora, Life In The Fab Lane, and the HouseWives of Atlanta.

2. I have a shoe fetish! I own about 100 pairs of shoes and boots.

3. I love soca and reggae music, especially dancehall!

4. I dislike ignorant people who are judgemental, arrogant, and self-centered! JUST GET OVER YOUR SELVES, WHY DON`T YA!!!

5. I`am a vegetarian.

6. I`am an Aries. I`am down to earth, straight foward, and motivated.

YOU HAVE BEEN TAGGED!!!

http://kimanisknapps.blogspot.com/,

http://lilydot.blogspot.com/,

http://thebroomsexperience.blogspot.com/,

http://queenlilocjourney.blogspot.com/ ,

http://justlocscharlotte.blogspot.com/,

http://locjourneyii.blogspot.com/

Interlocking Patterns

The most common locking patterns: Pattern 4- Used for tightly curled hair 9, 6, 3, 12

Pattern 3- Used for loose curled hair 9, 6, 9, 12

The least common locking pattern: pattern 4 reversed- Used for excessive slippage  3, 6, 9, 12

Part squares : 1/8" to 1/4" - Micro to small locs Small locs in the front

Part squares: 1/4" to 3/8" - Medium to large locs Medium locs in the mid-section

Medium and large in crown and back

For interlocks : Braid and band when washing hair. Wet hair and with medium water pressure. Place shampoo on scalp and on each braided bundle. wash hair gently from scalp to ends of locs. After washing, Remove braids and bands and separated locs to prevent crawling of locs.

1. Use shampoos with out conditioner until locked.

2.Do not use oils on hair in the baby stage.

3. wash hair before retightening. Sippage occurs the most after shampooing.

Enter the loc at 3`o Clock to 9` o clock

Enter the loc at 6` 0 clock to 12` 0 clock

Enter the loc 9` 0 clock to 3` o clock


Enter the loc at 12` o clock to 6` o clock

Always enter the loc at the scalp. As you pull your loc through, always push loop down towards the loc to eliminate gaps in your lock. Repeat until you are at the scalp and cannot complete another rotation. Your retightening should resemble a fishtail and feel like a tight cord.

The Sisterlock Hype

Having Sisterlocks was a challenge. I had a lot of slippage and some unravelling. During my first month locked, with the blessing of my consultant, I dyed my hair. My nape unravelled. I was so distraught! I had to wait two weeks to get an appointment. it really was not an appointment. It was a wait until other clients with an appointment finish and I will take care of you. It took two squeeze in "appointments" to get my hair re tightened and my locs reinstalled.

My consultant is excellent. Her clients have beautiful locks and she has a huge following. No parking and waiting to get my hair re tightened was not my vision. That reminded me of my permed days. Any way, that was my cue to take things into my own hands!

I searched the internet for some clue of the "secret sisterlock pattern" The pattern was all over the internet, but how to carry out the "secret' was still a mystery! One day I was conversing with a sisterlock friend about my sisterlock experience. We met and she taught me the technique. I learned how to re tightened and restart my locs if they unraveled. For the first time I felt like I was delivered from bondage! I was free to do my own locs and keep on top of my own maintenance.

I was compelled to share my knowledge after experiencing Sisterlock snobbery in person and over the internet. On the yahoo group site, lockItUp, there was so much snobbery. The moderator and members attacked other members who did not follow the "norm". On four occasions, I wrote a post that never appeared on the site. What kind of crap is that? I never said anything that would go against the grain. If you did not use the sisterlock tool or you took your hair care into your own hands without taking the re tighten class, you no longer have sisterlocks! That bull crap!

I paid $600 and sat for 15hrs to get these locs installed upon this head! I dare Ms Thang or anyone else to tell me that the locs in my hair are not sisterlocks!

I see sisterlocks more as a cult than a sorority. Sisterlocks is another alternate way to lock hair and gives the user more versatility of styling options. Its another way of going natural. It is a business. They do not make the person! Girlfriends! Its only hair!

I`am Getting SisterLocks!

Shortly before the big chop, I went to visit my parents. My step mom and I were conversing. All the years I known her, I really did not pay attention to her hair. She always had been natural. She wore a press and curl, an Afro or braids.

I was a diva, so I was not into the natural hair thang! That day, I became enlightened! I noticed one loc that had released itself from the loc tie. I never saw tiny locs before. I asked her was that a loc? She said, yes. They are called SisterLocks. All this time, I thought she had micro braids that became fuzzy from neglect!

I never saw SisterLocks until I saw my step mom`s. Living in NYC and seeing so many locked heads, you would think I would have seen them.


I always admired dreadlocks. I even started my son`s dreadlocks. I did not want traditional locs because I wanted style versatility!
Base on my hair texture and desire for small locs, sisterlocks would be the best lock method for me!


December 1, 2007 my SisterLocks were born!




loc count:325


time: 15hr


pattern: 4

Leading To the Big Chop

I know we have all gone through more than two hours in the beauty salon. I was not immune.

My problem started when I found a job 40 minutes from home vs 75 minutes. I applied my own relaxers because a few years ago, I allowed a "professional" to place creamy crack in my hair. When I left the salon, I had less than 5" of hair on my head!

You see, my stylist went to the Dominican Republic to visit his mom. I needed to get my hair did! When I worked up the courage to visit him again, he said, "thats what you get for not waiting!" He proceeded to cut off my hair to the new growth. I wore finger waves for three months!

After a few years, my stylist went back to the DR for good and I had to search for another stylist.

I decided I wanted to go short. I spotted this chick with a fierce hair cut! You know I had to stop her to get her hair story! that weekend, I meet my Puerto Rican Barber, Virgina. She used to work for Vidal Sasson salons. She could cut her but off! She said she made more money as a barber than a stylist. I could see why. She could not style a lick! if you have a great cut, you will always be able to maintain the style.

After I grew tired of the Halle Berry phase and following my barber all over the bronx, I begain to style my own hair. I got so tired of so many stylist who seem to never get it right!

The last straw, was when my friend recommended a stylist who had relocated to my county from NYC. Since she was a home girl and my friend`s hair looked good, I decided to give her a try.
I asked her to trim my ends. She cut three inches of my hair off! Ok!, it did look a little better. Any way, its just hair. It will grow back!

The next appointment, I requested that she layer my hair. I showed her a picture of what I wanted. of course my hair did not look like the picture! I told her about it! She had the nerve to tell me she did not appreciate me telling her what to do! Well, I had to go South Bronx on missy girl! I dish out $40-60 every two weeks , walk out the salon not totally happy and the next morning, I can`t get the same style from the day before? She must have thought I was stupid!

#1. Virgina has to teach her how to "cut" hair!
#2. I think she has been doing so many white client`s hair, she forgot how to hook up a sista!
#3. She forgot who she was speaking to!

TO MUCH HAIR DRAMA!

SHE JUST GOT PINK SLIPPED!



I went to my old neighborhood in the boogie down Bronx to seek out my old stylist. She hooked my hair up in my twenties and thirties. My only problem with her was, she came to the salon on thursdays. Only if she felt like it. I guess those are the perks when you are the owner! I grew tired of that too!

One sunday, instead of going to church, I went in front of the mirror with a pair of scissors and began to cut! When I was finished, I had one inch of curly hair. I had not seen my hair in twenty seven years!
















After my big chop, the test of my self esteem began. My crown and glory was gone! The only thing that I had to hide behind was my self. It is so disheartening when you discover how physical and superficial the world really is. In my natural state, no one of the opposite sex would look at me. When I wore my long wig, I could not get men out of my face! I cannot do the wig thang! If a man is going to be attracted to me, I want him to be attracted to me for the person that I `am!

As India Irie states, " I`AM NOT MY HAIR!"

The year of Transition

2006 was the year of transition. I thought I had to dress and wear my hair a certain way. I thought I could not enjoy myself anymore. I thought I had to give up my selection of music and my friends. little did I know, the only thing I had to do is surrender my life to the Lord and he would take care the rest! My life has changed. I have humbled myself in such a child like way! I still drive a luxury car and carry LV and Coach, but I see material things as a blessing and not a necessity!

I thank GOD for my health, my children, and for the air and the water that he provides for our existence. I always wondered how can anyone believe in the air that they can`t see, but knows that it is there. But, they cannot believe that there is a GOD!

Based on what is happening in the world today, people need to believe. Life is not going to get any better!

Serving the LORD is a BIG DEAL! I attended church as a child, but I had no idea what serving Christ was all about. I would read the Bible and had little comprehension of what was going on. When you are not saved, GOD does not give you total understanding. I was very afraid of the book of Revelations. Being a non-believer, I had every right to be.

Its so ironic that when I became a Born Again Christian, Revelations was the first book that GOD led me to study. God also led me to the Christian-fiction series, Left Behind, By Tim La Haye & Jerry B. Jenkins. This series gives an overview of what may happen to non believers after "The Rapture". The series scared me to death and re enforced what could happened to me if I`am not a practicing christian. Oh yes, in the book, prophets, pastors, and priest were left behind too!

For false Christ and prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect-if that were possible. matthew 24:24

When you turn on the television, you will see quite a few. Get in a Bible based chruch! Know the word(Bible). Praise and worship is great, but what you pastor teached you should be in one accord with the Bible!

STEPS TO A CHRISTIAN LIFESTYLE

1. Make time for God`s word.

2. Pray. Prayer is the channel through which all good flows from God to man: forgiveness, healing, power, and love.

3. Tithe. The purpose of tithing is to teach you to always put God first in our lives. Deut 14:23

Fellowship. Attending chruch encourages us to enter and enjoy relationships with other belivers so we may strengthen and encourage one another.

A christian lifestyle: Our devotion to Christ is lived out in our daily christian walk. "Christianity should be perfectly visible to all men"

When we accept Jesus as our savior, we are crucified with him in a spiritual sense. Our old unregenerated life dies and we are spiritually resurrected to a new life in Jesus Christ.

The Events Leading To My DreadLock Journey

2005 was a turbulent year. There were many factors that had led to my decision to lock. Before then, going natural was not a thought in my mind! I was happily addicted to the white creamy crack! Little did I know that 2005 would dictate my dreadlock journey!

My woes began when my employer hired a new associate director with no experience in the area that I managed. I`am known as a people`s person. i can work with the most difficult personalities, but this woman made "The Devil Who Wore Prada", look like an angel!

Aside from the woman Lucifer, April 2005, a motorist ran a red light. he hit my suv on the passenger side, causing the truck to spin in a complete circle before stopping facing opposite trafic. Minutes before, I dropped my son at the train station. Thank God, the moterist and I were not hurt. His front end was totalled. My truck had cosmetic and alignment issues. I was able to drive my truck to the garage and go to work.

In July, my dreadlocked son decided he needed to take time off from college and enlist into the Navy. I tell you, I almost had a heart attack! Thank God he had six months to dwell on his decision. The breaking point was when I gave him a party in his honor on Thanksgiving day. After that day, he was singing a different tune! His sleeze ball recruiter told him he could not back out. My smart dreadlocked son found a clause on the web. He is back in school!

Late August, my youngest son and I, planned to spend the weekend at the New Jersey shore. When I arrived home, he was in the bed with a sheet over him. ( He would always pretend to be sleeping when I arrived home) He told me he had fell off his bike and landed on his knee! When I pulled the sheets back, his knee was three times it`s size! I knew something was broken. His dreadlocked brother placed him on his back and we went to the emergency room. I was through! I had just left work from a hospital to visit another hospital featuring my youngest son! Well, he had a tibial spine fracture that slightly missed his growth plate! Again, thank God! He spent two months in a cast. he missed only two days of school. The school district provided him with car service for two months!

By December, I was stressed, destraught , and depressed! This was the worst year that I had experienced in a long time. I do not recall separating from my sons father being this bad! I believe that GOD was preparing me for GOOD WORK!

When I was stressed, I would drive the long way home to destress. I would pass this church. I was looking for a church home. I knew I needed to give back to GOD for what he gave to me, but GOD was not my priority yet.
One friday, I took the long way home. As I passed this church, it seem to be calling me! The next day, I googled the chruch for the address and stumbled on their web site. I listened to a sermon that was posted on the site. I attended the church that Sunday!

The rest is history! On December 25, 2005, I gave my life to Jesus. I have not looked back!

http://solidrockcog.com/