How to make twisted dreads of wool?  Explanation; the making of twisted wooldreads

In this manual we’ll explain you how to make twisted dreadlocks of merino wool. Twisted wooldreads are two colors of wool which are twisted into another till one dreadlock. These twisted dreadlocks give a very nice effect! Twisted dreadlocks are fun to combine with your normal wooldreads, or with any other types of dreads.

We’ve also made a video about the making of twisted dreadlocks with wool. This video shows you all the steps you need to make your own twisted dreadlocks.

Here we’ll explain you how to make a double wooldread of two colors. Are you (also) interested in the making of ‘normal’ wooldreads, then read our other manual about this.

Requisites for the making of twisted dreadlocks of wool

• Two colors of wool
• Olive soap (stained or fluid)
• Sprayer
• Bamboo mom (sushi mom)
• Antislip mom
• A ground that may become wet
• A place to hang the dreads for drying

 

Wool for dreads	Olive Soap	Sprayer	Bamboo mom	Antislip mom

 

The wool to use when making your twisted dreadlocks

Begin with the cutting of the wool on the desired length.  So consider how long you want to have your dreadlocks.  We give an explanation for double dreadlocks.  Attention! Double the length of the dread for a double dread.  The double dreadlock will be affirmed in the middle of it, to your own hair or your dreadfall.  The wool becomes, during the felting, approximately 10% longer. So you can cut the wool something shorter as the (double) desired dreadlength. 

Example:

When you want a dread of 50 cm and you make a double dread, cut 90 cm wool. 

Explanation:  2 x 50cm -10% = 90 cm

To make thin twisted dreads you split the woolstring in eight thin strings. First split the thick woolstring in two, repeat this with the two strings you’ve got now. After this repeat it again with the four strings. You can make eight thin strings of one color from one thick woolstring. These strings are perfect for thin wooldreads. If you want to make thick wooldreads, you make four strings of the thick woolstring.

Do exactly the same with the woolstring of the other color.

The complete woolstring gives very thick dreadlocks.  The best you can do is split this string one time. Now you’ll get dreads of normal till thick thickness.  If you split these strings again, then you’ll get thin dreadlocks.  So from one string of wool, you can make two thick double dreadlocks or four thin double dreadlocks. 

A bag of 50 grams wool contains approximately 2 - 2.5 meters wool.  From two bags wool of 50 grams, you can make approximately 24 thin twisted dreads or approximately 12 twisted thick dreads.  The length of your dreadlocks then is approximately 45 cm. 

Soap and sprayer will help the rolling of your dreads

For the rolling of your dreadlocks we advise to use olive soap.  Olive soap combined with warm water will open the scales of the wool, this will make the wool felt very good and it will become a nice and tight dreadlock.  Olive soap foams less as other soaps, this is an advantage when you make your dreads of wool. You only need a little bit of olive soap to reach a good effect.

Put the olive soap in warm till hot water.  This mixed fluid can be done in a sprayer or in a bin where you can hold the dreads completely under water. The woolstrings which you made on the right size and length can be hold under water or you can make them wet with the sprayer.

Rolling and felting of your wooldreads

Turn/ twist the two strings of wool around each other.

Lay the wet woolstrings on the moms.  The antislip mom lies under the bamboo mom.  When you use a sprayer, then just lay the woolstrings on the moms and spray these wet.  Fold the bamboo mom over the dread, the dread (work per one dread) is now between the mom.  (The antislip mom takes care for the bamboo mom to stay on its place.)  Now you can go roll the dread, preferable from one end to the other end.  The longer and the more tightly you roll the dreadlocks, the more sturdily the dreadlocks will become.  Take care that the dread remains wet. 



Tip: roll in the direction of the woolstrings, otherwise you roll the strings apart from each other again. Through the rolling and felting you see your twisted dreadlocks arise!

Drying your twisted dreads

If you think that the dread is finished, you can hang these to dry.  Hang your dreads at the middle piece of the dreads.  Pay attention that the dreads will go dripping, so (perhaps) it is skillfully to lay anything below them.  Colored wool can even give some color when whet! Please pay attention that the drying of your dreads can last a number of hours.

You might not be totally satisfied with the dread, you can make it wet again and roll the dreads more tighter/sturdier.

How many wooldreads do I need for a full head or on a dreadfall?

For a dreadfall, you use approximately 25-40 thin dreadlocks. Tip: it’s fun to combine your twisted dreads with ‘normal’ wooldreads. If you want a dreadfall of thick dreadlocks, use approximately 15-25 dreads.

How to make a dreadfall, we’ll explain at our other video.

If you use the dreads for putting them in your hair, you’ll need approximately 50-60 thin dreadlocks.  If you choose for thick dreadlocks, then you’ll need approximately 30-40 dreads.

Care and maintenance  of your dreadlocks

After wearing your wooldreads, you can wash them. The best thing to do is put your dreads covered in your washing machine.  Attention: the dreads can shrink by a high temperature.  Wash your dreadlocks preferable on a woolwashprogram.  Ofcourse you can also wash your dreads in a basin with soap. Possibly you can roll your dreads tight again after the washing.

Are the two strings in your dreads a bit loose of each other? Roll your dreadlocks a bit tight again between the bamboo mom. Attention: the dreads have to be wet when you do this!

Let Dreadshop make your wooldreads or apply them in your hair

Making your (twisted) dreads didn’t succeed?  You don’t have time or sense to make the (twisted) dreads yourself? We’ll be happy to make your wooldreads!  Let us know which color, thickness and length dreadlocks you want and we’ll make it for you! Please notice that we’ll need some time to make this for you. It can take some days for us to finish all your dreads. Ofcourse we’ll inform you about the delivery time of the dreadlocks after you e-mailed us. For the making of your dreadlocks you can send us an e-mail at: orders@dreadshop.com

Apply the dreads in your hair is something we can also do for you. Only our salon is in the Netherlands. But maybe you plan to visit our beautiful country and combine it with an appointment in our salon. To make an appointment for applying your dreadlocks just e-mail us at ikwildreads@dreadshop.nl