Hi everyone! Just thought I'd share a little project I was working on today. 

Ok so I've been looking for a wool tam (to help my hair tangle up while I'm sleeping) for a few weeks now and since I live in a tropical country, I can't seem to find one anywhere. I also tried looking for wool yarn and wool fabric but still no luck. Everything here is acrylic and cotton. 

So here's what I did after a little brainstorming. I guess it helps to have a sewing workshop at home! :)

You will need:

• Sewing machine (or just a needle if you prefer to sew without a machine)
• Thread
• 1" Garter (length = circumference of your head + 1" allowance)
• Scissors

Step 1: Log onto eBay and search "wool"

Step 2: Purchase secondhand 100% wool sweater (preferably a small child's size; the longer your dreads are, the bigger the sweater you need). Total cost: P224.00 inclusive of shipping (about US $5.00).

Step 3: Wait for sweater to arrive. Kill time by reading discussions on dreadlockssite.com. Hehe.

Step 4: Pull the sweater inside out, put the right sides of the front opening together and sew a seam parallel to it. Cut off the edge, leaving a 1/4" allowance parallel to the seam.

Step 5: Draw an inverted U-shape on the sweater with the curved part on the side of the neckline. Sew along this shape and cut it out, leaving a 1/4" allowance.

Step 6: Fold the hem and stitch parallel to it, 1.25" away from the fold, making sure you leave a couple of inches open for the garter to go through. Pull the garter through the folded hem (I used a long latch-hook needle to make it easier; what do you know, it IS good for something!). Make sure the garter isn't twisted inside the folded hem, then overlap the edges 1/2" and sew them together securely. Sew up the rest of the hem that you used to pull the garter through.

Step 7: This is the tricky part. Put the partially-finished tam on your head, still inside-out. Arrange it the way you would wear it and try to see where the lumpy and weird places are. Pin these parts in place and sew as needed. I ended up making a sort of cross-seam in the middle to get a nice rounded shape. Make sure you don't make any sharp curves or it will make your tam lumpy, try to make all the curves as gradual as possible. Then cut out the excess, leaving a 1/4" allowance.

Step 8: Zigzag or overlock stitch all the raw edges (or not, but I think it's better to do this to help strengthen the seams).

Step 9: Invert and wear. Voila!

Notes:

• You can substitute the garter with a drawstring instead. Lessen the folded hem to about a half inch and just cut small holes in the back (you can fasten eyelets in the holes) and pull the string through. You can even put beads and stuff on the ends of the string for additional decoration.