Aah, the Great British Summer.

Okay, so I didn’t go to University last week with two different shoes on. But I did set out in the morning wearing a cardigan, and with a cagoule and my rucksack’s rain cover packed up just in case. By the time I came home I had no need of the cardigan, and my feet were covered in blisters from wearing my new summer shoes actually in the heat for the first time.

(Note to self: put the summer socks at the front of the drawer!)

There’s a really useful article from last year that’s doing the rounds again, about antidepressants and other medication that can make you more sensitive to the sun. Crucially, there are two things to note:

1) these effects can persist for a long time after you’ve stopped taking them, and
2) it doesn’t necessarily mean just sunburn. It can also mean poor internal temperature control, so you can suffer from heatstroke and end up quite poorly before you’ve even realised that you’re too hot.

So, check the paperwork for any medications you’re taking, and think about other things too – St John’s Wort supplements and bergamot essential oil are just two things you could be taking or putting on your skin that could increase your risk of sunburn and heat sensitivity.

I’m susceptible to both the heat and the sun, and I’m also allergic to every single brand of sunscreen that I’ve tried. Yes, including all of the “sensitive” and “hypoallergenic” ones. (Thanks, fibromyalgia!) This means that in the summer you’ll quite often see me covered up from head to toe, especially during a heatwave like the one that’s started in Germany this week.

Last year I made this hat, as a response to the question “what would a witch wear in summer?”. It has the advantages of being very light, and just as easy to pack into a rucksack as my cagoule. (Yes, I’ll be carrying both until it’s time for my winter coat to come out again.) But, because of its unusual style, I didn’t pluck up the courage to actually wear it very much last year. I can’t be lugging about my enormous straw hat everywhere I go though, so something that folds up into my bag is absolutely essential, especially if I’m going to try and stay fit by walking to campus and back when I’m well enough.

I’m not doing any sewing at the moment, as I’ve managed to injure my back, so I’m half-heartedly on the lookout for a soft summer hat that I might like. Really though, every time I see one that might just do, I think about my sewing patterns and I’m itching to make something new.