First set of Wool dreasd

[FreakyFiberFox]

Hey Everyone,

As mentioned in my introduction post, here's my story of my first set of wool dreads.

Ok so I was surfing the net looking at various felting projects and came across a set of wool dreads.
I fell in love and just had to make a set of my own.
So took out some small bits of various types of roving that I had in my stash and test felted them to see what the results would be. I also had a bit of left over merino roving so I practices making 2 dreads of different sizes to try out the hand rolling process and to see what the results would look like. Next morning when I woke up all my felted sample looked beautiful and my 2 merino dreads looked fantastic in my opinion.

So I went a head and started making my dreads.

I made 26 Blue Faced Leicester dreads which I dyed a reddish brown, 14 merino/silk blend dreads that were a blend of various purples, 7 Icelandic left their natural sheepy white and 1 Shetland in varying brown with some merino wrapped around to give it a spiraled look. So a total of 58 DE dreads.

My sister was kind enough to install them for me on Saturday, but by Monday (today) I had to take them out cause they were too heavy and were both hurting my neck and giving me a head ache

They looked to pretty but I just couldn't keep them in.

Maybe I put to many in?
and I have a question... are synthetic dreads lighter then wool ones?
Has anyone on this board had the opportunity to try wearing both?

Anyway here's the pics that my sister took...please let me know what you all think.
Sorry about the large photo I'm still new to using forums any tips on re sizing would be welcomed

[MrsEss]

Hey.

No, synth is not lighter than wool. It's a lot heavier, a lot more itchy & your head get a lot hotter a lot quicker. I wear both & have done for years & always prefer roving, although I need to convince myself to wear them during the summer. I currently have roving in. No neck pains, or heavy, itchy head.

The length, choice of fibre, the firmness of the dreads can all make a difference. The height in which ou have them tied could have played a factor too. With roving I either wear merino or corridale, nothing else.

TBF though, if this is your first ever kit installed it WILL hurt, it will give you a head ache & you will be uncomfortable. It does go away though

[FreakyFiberFox]

Thank you so much for the info.
I think I may try installing another set when it isn't so hot and humid LOL
Maybe I'll adapt to wearing them better if I only have to contend with weight and head aches.
But this set will not go to waste I plan on mounting them on a ribbon to be able to wear them as falls. Maybe if I ease into things this way by the time cooler weather sets in I will be better prepared for another full head install.

However I did not find it itchy, I actually enjoyed the soft cushion like feeling of the dreads. Just so heavy...

Do you think that the length played a role in this too?
Would you recommend a shorter set for a newbie?
I was thinking of making some Cthulhu green tentacle ones for my next set and was thinking that maybe shoulder length ones would be better to cope with.
Any thoughts?

[VixenSingsBlack]

I'd suggest going shorter to ease into the weight. It'll make it a lot lighter, therefor easier on the scalp. Wool is my number one choice for hair wear--lighter, cooler, softer.

[ScarletLady]

They are quite long so maybe try something shorter. I agree with the other ladies...roving is MUCH lighter and more comfortable. I don't think I could physically wear synth as long as your roving. 58 is quite a lot as well. I've worn that many before so it's not un-doable, but you could wear less. Have you considered a small undercut so you don't need to install right at the base of your neck? You wouldn't even notice it when your hair is down and it makes installs SO much more comfortable (in my opinion). Especially when wearing them up.

[MrsEss]

I was thinking of making some Cthulhu green tentacle ones for my next set and was thinking that maybe shoulder length ones would be better to cope with.
Any thoughts?

You're welcome hon. Yeah, shoulder length may be an idea. I can't wear anything longer than 18", it pulls too much on my head & causes evil neck ache.

I was gonna suggest a partial head shave but not everyone likes a shaved head. A friend of mine has all her hair & she at most had 45/50 installed. (an FYI I have 35 installed atm & 3/4 of a head of hair) Here: https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/ ... 2702_n.jpg

[MrsEss]

Thank you so much for the info.
I think I may try installing another set when it isn't so hot and humid LOL
Maybe I'll adapt to wearing them better if I only have to contend with weight and head aches.
But this set will not go to waste I plan on mounting them on a ribbon to be able to wear them as falls. Maybe if I ease into things this way by the time cooler weather sets in I will be better prepared for another full head install.

However I did not find it itchy, I actually enjoyed the soft cushion like feeling of the dreads. Just so heavy...

Do you think that the length played a role in this too?
Would you recommend a shorter set for a newbie?
I was thinking of making some Cthulhu green tentacle ones for my next set and was thinking that maybe shoulder length ones would be better to cope with.
Any thoughts?

[marymairi]

If you love the look of the long dreads and don't want to do an undercut, you might also try installing fewer dreads on the back of your head. Last time I had a really heavy install the ladies here told me to take larger sections at the back of my head - it took a lot of the weight off and I didn't notice a difference with the volume. As long as they're installed thickly enough around the hairline it's not noticeable.

I've also noticed that dreads don't hurt my head so much if I install them just a little bit looser. For me, the initial headache seems to come more from braiding too tightly than from the weight (though of course, everyone is different.)