A sheitel is a specific type of wig worn by Orthodox Jewish women. Helen Rosen of Baltimore took up an apprenticeship with a master craftsman of sheitels. She eventually moved to Peru to set up her own shop. Peruvian women, she found, have the best hair for this type of wigmaking:
Helene says that the ample selection of hair colors and textures in South America — the result of more than twenty-five generations of intermarriage between Europeans and indigenous people — make it the ideal source region. The hair of indigenous Peruvian women is thick, straight, and black-perfect for the lace-front wigs sought by black women, who have come to represent the majority of Helene’s business — and is worn in two braids that often stretch all the way down their backs and are plaited with tassels made from Alpaca wool.
You can read her story at the link. The site design is unusual. It scrolls from left to right, and the scrolling buttons appear plus and minus signs on the sides of the page.
Link via Kottke | Photo by Flickr user The Gifted Photographer used under Creative Commons license

Flickr user MrsWoman knitted this wig that will make any man look cool, like The King. Sadly, she doesn’t provide any instructions on how to make your own. But at her site, you can examine similar crafts that she’s made.
Link via The Presurfer | Crafter’s Website

This little girl’s Colonel Sanders Halloween costume is too precious. Her mom not only madeĀ the entire outfit, but she also made the wig out of wool yarn and the effect is pretty priceless.
