To Tamara

::Sigh:: One. I can only do one figure eight. My hair is too short for more :(Actually, I have thought about what I would do if my hair was say twice as long as it is now. But I don't know if I can describe it well. I'll try but I may have to send in a drawing.Currently after braiding my hair (I start the braid centered at the nape of my neck) I make the first loop along my hair line just under and behind my left ear and crossing back at the center. (I also try to flatten it as much as possible to make the braid stand out.) I then make the next loop under and behind my right ear crossing back over the center. By this time I'm almost out of hair. I tuck the tail (it's less than 1" long) under the center and stab the whole thing with a stick. The stick I use is only 6" long and it disappears into the hair.Now for longer hair I do have a 10" cloisonne hair stick that my mom gave me when she finally accepted my hair. There are two ways I would do it. One, do a wide first figure eight and then do a slightly shorter, narrower figure eight right on top of the first one, tuck the tail under and stab the whole thing with a stick. Two, spin the braid about 1 1/2 times to form a circle in the centre and then do the figure eight as usual but crossing under the cirle. You want the cirle to be on top of the figure eight in the end. Remember to flatten the braid as you go to show it off (it will also consume a lot of hair in the process). Stab the whole thing again with a stick to hold it.You can do all sorts of variations on this theme - did I not say I had a vivid imagination?As to stabbing the hair just above the tie off - the whole purpose is to keep the tail fixed where ever it is tucked. So if you tuck it under one of the loops then make sure as you stab the stick through that you catch the tail too.I hope this all makes sense.BTW this style got rave reviews at work today. One of the ladies said her mother always wore her hair like this and that it looks very classic. I haven't had a reception like that since I came in wearing my hair in a reverse invisible braid. (The pictures might still be in Frank's archives.) It was quite a satisfying feeling.The rope bun is nice but have you tried putting it around your head like a crown? Sadly my hair reaches only half way but it looks great in my mind!Take care.> Hi Tamara,> Just read your article, and I wanted to let you know> how much I enjoyed it. I also want to let you know> that I love your favorite, too. I do have a question,> though. How many figure eights do you use? I would> love to try it, but I would have to do multiple eights> and I am afraid it might look funny. Also, (and this> may sound stupid) you said to place the stick right> above the tie off...what if the tie off is in the> middle of the eight? Will it still hold if you don't> place the stick at the end of the braid? I also like> the rope twist bun. Very classy!> Take care,> Noreen

Hi Tamara,Thanks for answering my questions. I will try the figure eight inside the figure eight and let you know how it comes out. That may just be the answer. I have quite an assortment of sticks and clips to try, too. I may even try it tonight and if it comes out good I will wear it to work like that tomorrow. Oh, and by the way, your instructions were very clear.I hadn't tried wrapping the rope around my head, but that is something else I can try. When my hair was waist length, I would often put my hair into two braids and wrap them around my head. I haven't tried that in a while. I think that now most of my head would be covered in a braid. It might kind of look like a cap....hmmmmm...You've got the old brain working!!!!Take Care,Noreen> ::Sigh:: One. I can only do one figure eight. My hair> is too short for more :(> Actually, I have thought about what I would do if my> hair was say twice as long as it is now. But I don't> know if I can describe it well. I'll try but I may> have to send in a drawing.> Currently after braiding my hair (I start the braid> centered at the nape of my neck) I make the first loop> along my hair line just under and behind my left ear> and crossing back at the center. (I also try to> flatten it as much as possible to make the braid stand> out.) I then make the next loop under and behind my> right ear crossing back over the center. By this time> I'm almost out of hair. I tuck the tail (it's less> than 1" long) under the center and stab the whole> thing with a stick. The stick I use is only 6"> long and it disappears into the hair.> Now for longer hair I do have a 10" cloisonne> hair stick that my mom gave me when she finally> accepted my hair. There are two ways I would do it.> One, do a wide first figure eight and then do a> slightly shorter, narrower figure eight right on top> of the first one, tuck the tail under and stab the> whole thing with a stick. Two, spin the braid about 1> 1/2 times to form a circle in the centre and then do> the figure eight as usual but crossing under the> cirle. You want the cirle to be on top of the figure> eight in the end. Remember to flatten the braid as you> go to show it off (it will also consume a lot of hair> in the process). Stab the whole thing again with a> stick to hold it.> You can do all sorts of variations on this theme - did> I not say I had a vivid imagination?> As to stabbing the hair just above the tie off - the> whole purpose is to keep the tail fixed where ever it> is tucked. So if you tuck it under one of the loops> then make sure as you stab the stick through that you> catch the tail too.> I hope this all makes sense.> BTW this style got rave reviews at work today. One of> the ladies said her mother always wore her hair like> this and that it looks very classic. I haven't had a> reception like that since I came in wearing my hair in> a reverse invisible braid. (The pictures might still> be in Frank's archives.) It was quite a satisfying> feeling.> The rope bun is nice but have you tried putting it> around your head like a crown? Sadly my hair reaches> only half way but it looks great in my mind!> Take care.

Hey, if there is still too much length try a four strand braid the twisting shouldn't matter. A four strand lanyard really chews up the length too. Or maybe you'll need to do a five strand... I wonder what a rope would look like not in a figure 8 but pulled through like a chain stitch? Sorta like a ruffle I suspect. Listen can I come over and play with your hair?Just kidding. Let me know how everything turns out.> Hi Tamara,> Thanks for answering my questions. I will try the> figure eight inside the figure eight and let you know> how it comes out. That may just be the answer. I have> quite an assortment of sticks and clips to try, too. I> may even try it tonight and if it comes out good I> will wear it to work like that tomorrow. Oh, and by> the way, your instructions were very clear.> I hadn't tried wrapping the rope around my head, but> that is something else I can try. When my hair was> waist length, I would often put my hair into two> braids and wrap them around my head. I haven't tried> that in a while. I think that now most of my head> would be covered in a braid. It might kind of look> like a cap....hmmmmm...You've got the old brain> working!!!!> Take Care,> Noreen