Quick and Easy Textured Dreads

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miasmahair
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Quick and Easy Textured Dreads

Post by miasmahair » Sun Mar 07, 2010 10:35 pm

This is just the fastest and easiest way to make wool dreads, if you like a bit of texture like these!
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So firstly, you take your roving. This particular piece has been dyed, and is 1/3 of the width of the roving.

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(Now, you must ignore the spinning wheel, I asked my dad if I could borrow one, and the closest one he had to hand was a prototype so it hasn't been lacquered or finished, so pretend you didn't see it!)
I wrap one end of the roving around the orifice (orifice! :P) and clamp it on.

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Then, holding the other end out I spin in one direction until the roving is nice and twisted. You're not actually spinning here, so don't draw or anything, it's just to get a good twist in there. It's also probably good to go in the same direction every time, especially if the roving has been dyed transitionally, because you might be able to see the twist in the finished dread and you probably want them all the same (well, I do). I like my twists to go from left to right, so I spin in an anti-clockwise direction.

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If you don't have a spinning wheel... well you should go get one! (joking) This works just as well (but a bit slower) with wrapping one end around a sharpie or other pen (like the Chinese ripoff version Shoupie...) that's got that little holder at the top.

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Then holding the other end, roll the sharpie down your leg, and it will twist up the wool.

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Then you unclamp the end carefully, holding both ends of the wool to make sure you don't lose the twist. Hold those ends together and let the middle twist up.

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Then I like to make sure it's all twisted nice and pull the end through the loop.

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Then when I've got all my roving like this in little bundles I pop them all in a cushion cover. Pillowcases are fine, but I like to be able to zip it closed, just in case, because if the dreads get out in your washing machine they can go a bit... wrong.

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So then it's into the washing machine, with some laundry powder and on a hot wash. You can experiment with different temperatures for different levels of felting, but the hot that my washing machine uses is straight from the hot tap.

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When the wash is finished pull your dreads out. You can leave them to dry completely in their little twists and this will give even more texture, but here they are still a bit damp.

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So you pull in apart one way.

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And then pull it apart completely. If you're having trouble separating the two side, start at the loop at the top. Let the twist fall out.

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And here's a bunch of them with their coloured friends :D

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And there you have it! A dread with no palm-rolling required! You can manicure the ends a bit, or give them another palm roll if you want them a bit straighter.
Again, I'd love to see your results if you use this technique.
Better living everyone!

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Stilldawn
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Re: Quick and Easy Textured Dreads

Post by Stilldawn » Mon Mar 08, 2010 2:30 am

I cant wait to try this, thank you!

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MrsEss
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Re: Quick and Easy Textured Dreads

Post by MrsEss » Mon Mar 08, 2010 10:19 am

I may have to try this :D

(my washing machine only has cold - so will have to experiment ;) )
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Re: Quick and Easy Textured Dreads

Post by Squidgy » Mon Mar 08, 2010 4:47 pm

Very interesting - not that disimilar from how I curl mine - great little tutorial!
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miasmahair
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Re: Quick and Easy Textured Dreads

Post by miasmahair » Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:12 pm

DreadstarMonstar wrote:(my washing machine only has cold - so will have to experiment ;) )
Try doing a few on cold, they might come out just fine, especially if you leave them in their little bundles to completely dry. Or you could just tip a few jugs of boiling water in there as well. Churr!

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Re: Quick and Easy Textured Dreads

Post by CancerHybrid » Wed Mar 10, 2010 6:54 pm

omg i have to try this.
i was wondering, would this work if you made the dreads thicker? like if you split the wool in half or not at all?
*Manda*

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Re: Quick and Easy Textured Dreads

Post by MrsEss » Wed Mar 10, 2010 7:20 pm

miasmahair wrote:
DreadstarMonstar wrote:(my washing machine only has cold - so will have to experiment ;) )
Try doing a few on cold, they might come out just fine, especially if you leave them in their little bundles to completely dry. Or you could just tip a few jugs of boiling water in there as well. Churr!
The water does heat up, but rinses in cold....& has a 1400rpm spin :? I imagine small roving balls coming out if it! :lol:
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miasmahair
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Re: Quick and Easy Textured Dreads

Post by miasmahair » Wed Mar 10, 2010 8:17 pm

CancerHybrid wrote:omg i have to try this.
i was wondering, would this work if you made the dreads thicker? like if you split the wool in half or not at all?
Yeah, definitely. The big dark red and brown ones up the top are half a width and I've done full width ones like this as well. The kink is bigger obviously, but they come out good!
DreadstarMonstar wrote:The water does heat up, but rinses in cold....& has a 1400rpm spin :? I imagine small roving balls coming out if it! :lol:
Heh, I think as long as they stay in their pillowcase or whatever they're fine, I've had one or two fall out of one (which is when I started using cushion covers, because of the zip) and that's sort of what I meant by "wrong" :P Try a few a see how they go before doing the whole lot, but I think you'll be surprised!

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Re: Quick and Easy Textured Dreads

Post by CancerHybrid » Wed Mar 10, 2010 8:21 pm

awesome! thanks for responding so quick
*Manda*

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Re: Quick and Easy Textured Dreads

Post by pixychick » Thu Mar 11, 2010 9:24 am

For some reason that just confused me and i had to read it like 3 times, I thought you were actually using the spinning wheel (I don't know how those work plus I've never even seen one except for in Sleeping Beauty) so I was totally thrown off by the word spinning. But I finally read that you twist not spin. Silly me.
So in the wash, do you let it go through the entire cycle, or do you just soak then drain and spin? :?:

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Re: Quick and Easy Textured Dreads

Post by miasmahair » Thu Mar 11, 2010 9:19 pm

Heh, I tried to make it as clear as possible but I'm a bit of a spazz. If you don't have a wheel you can just twist by hand or use a pen or something like that to help
pixychick wrote:So in the wash, do you let it go through the entire cycle, or do you just soak then drain and spin? :?:
Once the wool is in little twists I just send it through a complete wash cycle on hot and they come out fine :) Hope that makes sense!

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Re: Quick and Easy Textured Dreads

Post by CancerHybrid » Sat Mar 13, 2010 12:30 am

if i want dreads that are 12in folded (24in unfolded), how long should i cut the lengths of wool to allow for shrinkage and end up with my desired length?
*Manda*

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Re: Quick and Easy Textured Dreads

Post by miasmahair » Sat Mar 13, 2010 11:05 pm

CancerHybrid wrote:if i want dreads that are 12in folded (24in unfolded), how long should i cut the lengths of wool to allow for shrinkage and end up with my desired length?
Ha, I actually have no idea, I usually make the pieces of wool a bit longer because I get a bit excited when I'm breaking them off, next batch I do I'll measure it out all proper. I do however use corriedale instead of merino, so I don't know if that affects it at all. I would recommend to everyone to try using corriedale if you can get some, especially if you're doing natural textured ones, they come out a bit more hairy and real-dreadlike (which is why I like wool rather than synth :D)

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Re: Quick and Easy Textured Dreads

Post by cherrybombdreads » Sat Mar 20, 2010 9:15 am

OMGOSH!

I'm soooo going to try this! I've never had roving before, so ill do one with a spare bit i have n see how it comes out!

thanks for posing :D
http://www.cherrybombdreads.webs.com High Quality Roving and Synthetic Dreads!

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Re: Quick and Easy Textured Dreads

Post by OrangeMicol » Tue Mar 23, 2010 9:00 pm

wow so hot, cant wait to give it a bash!

thanks :)

love your superb roving, everything you show off is so yum and original! :i2:

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Re: Quick and Easy Textured Dreads

Post by Aya McCabre » Thu Apr 08, 2010 2:37 am

Given that I'm completely new to dreading I'm thinking this may be a goodplace to start. Thanks. :)

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Re: Quick and Easy Textured Dreads

Post by linziloop » Thu Apr 08, 2010 11:48 am

Wicked! Never seen it done that way so as soon as i get paid i will be investing in some wool to try it out!
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Re: Quick and Easy Textured Dreads

Post by laura. » Thu Apr 29, 2010 6:56 pm

thank you for posting! i'm getting tired of hand felting and considered using the washing machine.... but wasn't exactly sure how i'd get them to keep their shape. i am so happy i came across this post! i just tossed a batch in the machine - it took a fraction of the time i'd have spent over the sink.

[bows down]
you rock!

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Re: Quick and Easy Textured Dreads

Post by ..::AtomicLox::.. » Fri Jul 09, 2010 7:37 pm

Miasma, you are truly a force to reckon with.

I think I love you.

It is soooo hot here and I of course have a ton of wool orders, I was absolutely DREADING (in the BAD way!) boiling water on the stove, and this totally saved me. They're gorgeous, and you did a great job explaining yourself! at least... I thought so. I use a turkish drop spindle, so I have a basic idea but still!!!
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Re: Quick and Easy Textured Dreads

Post by MrsEss » Fri Jul 09, 2010 7:40 pm

I do all my dreads in the machine now :D
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°«Belle»°
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Re: Quick and Easy Textured Dreads

Post by °«Belle»° » Fri Jul 09, 2010 10:57 pm

I may have to give this a go. I have tons of roving stuffed away.. unfelted and unloved!
Thank you! :mrgreen:

EDIT: They're in the machine! Woo! I just hope they dont felt into a bundle of swirlyness.. It'd look pretty but be useless :? I'll find out in the morning. EEK!
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Re: Quick and Easy Textured Dreads

Post by °«Belle»° » Sat Jul 10, 2010 6:14 am

What temperature do you consider 'hot' to be? I put them in on a 60 wash (my machine goes to 90) and they were.. yup, little balls. ARGH! F*#KSTICKS! :evil:

So what temperature should I have put them in at?
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Re: Quick and Easy Textured Dreads

Post by Squidgy » Wed Aug 25, 2010 6:59 pm

°«Belle»° wrote:What temperature do you consider 'hot' to be? I put them in on a 60 wash (my machine goes to 90) and they were.. yup, little balls. ARGH! F*#KSTICKS! :evil:

So what temperature should I have put them in at?
I would suggest a 30 or 40 wash only belle, and if you can reduce the spin cycle as well that will help to ensure they dont go in to balls, imagine a wool jumper in the machine, if on a hot wash it will shrink, roving will do the same. x
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Re: Quick and Easy Textured Dreads

Post by Monique_marion_may » Tue Aug 31, 2010 9:15 pm

Do these hold up aswell as conventional roving? i know normal roving needs to be felted like 4-5 times.. are these just as sturdy? xx

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Re: Quick and Easy Textured Dreads

Post by miasmahair » Wed Sep 01, 2010 3:52 am

Monique_marion_may wrote:Do these hold up aswell as conventional roving? i know normal roving needs to be felted like 4-5 times.. are these just as sturdy? xx
Hey, yeah, they do. Depending on hot hot the water is they can get pretty solid in just one wash, but I always give mine a quick extra wet felt (or two) to get the twist out and sort out the ends, but it takes the hard work out of it :)

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