Hair Extensions Forum

So I have been making dreads from yarn for a few years now, trying different techniques. I had used an older site for a tutorial on dreads before to teach me the basics, but I think I have kind of mashed techniques for different types of dreading materials, and ended up with something quite fantastical. I kept telling everyone that I would never tell my secret, but I just have to know if I am doing something really odd in the world of dread making.
I started off by braiding, and then backbrushing and twisting many times (which I suppose is normal in dread making).
I tried doing the hair straightener trick but noticed many times that the dreads would become too flat or the yarn would literally melt in some spots leaving a funny, nasty looking thing that looked like a scary, hairy flatworm.
Since then I have ditched the flat iron and started getting into boiling my dreads. Somewhere I had found something that suggested pushing dish soap in boiling water and dipping the dreads. So I started doing that, sealing with a light weight hair spray and dread wax combination and then letting it steam once more (usually a half an hour long yummy hot shower would do it for me).
The result was extremely luscious smooth dreads that looked perfect, smooth like a tightly wrapped synth dread, but looking almost how you would picture a natural well kept dread.
I have already sold a couple of falls of this style and everyone is loving it! So far it seems to be extremely durable, handling water well, and extremely easy to maintain. I almost didn't want to sell the first pair i made!
has anyone else heard of the boiling technique? Is it normally used for wool dreads? The problem is that my technique is extremely time consuming. Does anyone know of any shortcuts that wouldn't effect the quality of the dreads?

here is the best picture I have for them.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3 ... 0011980465

Dude, sounds very interesting, I'd love to see some more photos and closeups

Using Yarn?

I have heard of this using yarn as a back brushed braid and then boiling or heating with a flat iron- I tried it myself but they always came out too crunchy!

Would love to see them in better detail!

Sounds like a lot of steps for yarn, and I wouldn't advise using hairspray, a hair straightener or dread wax on them at all. Do you mean synth hair? Backcombing wool sounds very strange

I'm pretty sure boiling in itself is very normal - felting wool using dish soap certainly is.

you can back comb wool and yarn strands as odd as it sounds!

I remember a thread many years ago where someone did it and sealed the yarn with a candle! Now that was a little odd!

Are you using yarn made from wool or acrylic yarn?

I use a combination of different yarns. It's pretty much whatever catches my eye at the store that looks like it can survive the back combing. I have never tried using a candle, though. With the method I use it makes them very soft, pliable, and light. I wish I still had that brown set so I could show you guys better. I'm currently working on and off on a set for myself with white, purple, and blues. Maybe I should seal some of those and show you. They don't get sticky or tacky at all from using the wax or spray, and I have tried washing them in the sink and they come out perfect.
but yeah it does seem like a lot of work for yarn, but its really the only way i've learned how. I should probably try my hand at using synth hair to make some and see where that gets me.

heres a a couple of pictures of what it looks like when i use the hair straightener to smooth the yarn dreads. I haven't sealed them with anything yet. they are still soft, not crunchy. They are not as nice and tight as when I boil them. And there's one that ended up super skinny for some reason. lol


yarn dread by Photo Kitn


yarn dread by Photo Kitn,

i did not smooth out the loops at the top, so yes i know they are extremely fuzzy. lol
I might end up boiling these. I don't like how loosely spun they feel

Wow.. never seen wool dreads like that, I love them! They look a lot more natural, which has put me off wool dreads in the past...

They look great! I'd love to see the yarn before hand.

Photo on 2011-07-28 at 12.20 by Photo Kitn

here are the pieces of yarn used in those dreads. I just grab up whatever yarns are the right color and look like they can stand backbrushing. i prefer using the chunky yarns, but the lion brand homespun yarns seem to work well because they are loosely spun so it acts almost like dreading the jumbo braid hair i would imagine

K.O. wrote:
Photo on 2011-07-28 at 12.20 by Photo Kitn

here are the pieces of yarn used in those dreads. I just grab up whatever yarns are the right color and look like they can stand backbrushing. i prefer using the chunky yarns, but the lion brand homespun yarns seem to work well because they are loosely spun so it acts almost like dreading the jumbo braid hair i would imagine

Yep, that's what I thought. I've used the lion brand before with back brushing, long long ago. Yours is better than mine ever was though!

ya I think the lion brand is one of my favorites to use. It bakcbrushes wonderfully. I wish there was more of a selection out in my area as far as color though. I always pick them up whenever I see a skein.

K.O. wrote:I started off by braiding, and then backbrushing and twisting many times (which I suppose is normal in dread making).

??
Alright- i'm totally new to the whole dread process. I'm following a different technique with my homespun but i was wondering if you would explain the whole braiding then backbrushing for that type of material. I wasn't sure if you took out the supportive lines for the homespun or not. ALSO! You say you use lots of different types of yarn and i was hoping (though it is your secret and i understand it) if you could kinda tell me how to you get that multi cable one to come loose for you....

Sorry if i'm prying its just...i'm a new mommy without much money so yarn is the only way i can make soft inexpensive dreads my daughter won't poke her eye out with when i snuggle her.

pinkfloydsgurl wrote:

K.O. wrote:I started off by braiding, and then backbrushing and twisting many times (which I suppose is normal in dread making).

??
Alright- i'm totally new to the whole dread process. I'm following a different technique with my homespun but i was wondering if you would explain the whole braiding then backbrushing for that type of material. I wasn't sure if you took out the supportive lines for the homespun or not. ALSO! You say you use lots of different types of yarn and i was hoping (though it is your secret and i understand it) if you could kinda tell me how to you get that multi cable one to come loose for you....

Sorry if i'm prying its just...i'm a new mommy without much money so yarn is the only way i can make soft inexpensive dreads my daughter won't poke her eye out with when i snuggle her.

I don't it makes the yarn too weak for my back brushing. The multi cables are good for adding thickness and stability especially when using very loose yarn like the squiggly one shown.