Dreadlock Tube Hat with Corset Lacing

I went through my knitting this afternoon and came across my most popular hat.  I would say that it is my most requested pattern, but people don't ask me for the pattern.  They ask me where I bought it.  This was actually one of the first hats that I designed, and it was made right after I fell in love with steampunk.  Today I share it with you.


Honestly, I can't remember exactly what yarn I used (except that it was cheap stuff), but it's really pretty simple.  I recommend that you measure your head and knit a gauge swatch to see if it will fit you.  Adjust your needle size, or the number of repeats of the pattern, to get it right.  If this is hard to read or follow, please, please click on comments and let me know. (Just because it's all obvious to me, doesn't mean that it makes sense to someone not inside of my head.) 

Again, if you can't read this, yell at me. I apologize in advance for not getting off my butt and learning to chart more professionally.

How to wash Dreadlocks

The single most common question I get about dreadlocks is "So, do you wash it?"  I bite back the comment in my head about dreadlock wearers only rolling in the mud to get clean, and say "Of course I wash my hair."  The next question is what they really wanted to know, "How?"  The answer? - Very carefully.

Those of you who know me, are already aware that I'm one of those crazy sensitive people who are allergic to everything.  The first time I had dreads, it meant that the shampoos that people recommended to me made my scalp bleed, literally. The main culprit was the ever popular tea tree oil.  This seems to be the mainstay for people that want to be natural and keep their skin healthy.  The only problem with this is that it's really potent, and quite a few people, like me, are sensitive to it in any amount.  It wasn't until I discovered ginger, that I felt I could try dreadlocks again.

It had been recommended to me to boil down ginger root and add it to a bottle of natural shampoo, along with a few crushed aspirin. This is supposed to help people with scalp problems (most of us with sensitivities will have skin issues).  I totally recommend the crushed aspirin, but like so many other things, I'm allergic to it's ingredients.  For the ginger, however, I find that using fresh ginger each time you shampoo is far more effective.

Here is what I do - 
First I grate about one finger of ginger, and squeeze the juice out into a plastic measuring cup. You'll want less than a quarter cup of this liquid.

 Next, I run a bath... Before you give me the anagram for "Too Much Information", get your brain out of the gutter, and hear me out.  For best effect, you will want to begin by soaking your head.  This softens the skin and opens your pores.  A bath is better for this, because running water is tough on your knots.  The less movement of the water, the better.

After you've soaked your scalp for a couple minutes, put a small amount of your favorite natural shampoo (I recommend something with Lavender) in your hand.  Add about 4 drops of peppermint oil into the center of this, and mix it in with your finger.  Then pour a tiny bit of your fresh ginger juice into it as well, and mix in with your finger.  After our "medicine" is mixed in I add more shampoo to my hand and mix until I have a whole handful of herbalized shampoo.  I know it sounds like a lot of shampoo, but it's a little difficult to get the shampoo throughout your hair, when you have dreadlocks.  I apply this mixture to my entire scalp without a whole lot of concern for the length of my hair, unless it's extra dirty for some reason.  (As you rinse and squeeze your hair later, it will be cleansed quite well.)  Leave this on your head for a couple of minutes to do it's work.  The peppermint will soothe and cool, and the ginger is not only an anti - inflammatory, but it also is a great antioxidant, antimicrobial for sores, and stimulates circulation.  When you're ready, just let your head soak in the bath.  Gently massage the water through your scalp, and squeeze and release the length of your hair under the water.  This is rinse #1. Drain your bath.

Now rinse your hair again under running water, remembering to squeeze and release your hair under the water to get the water in and the shampoo out of your dreadlocks.  Don't rub and scrub your dreadlocks, because this is too rough on them.  Pay special attention to making sure your entire scalp is well rinsed.  Shampoo residues left on your skin will both irritate your scalp and invite infection.  That was rinse #2.  Now, remember that cup with ginger juice in the bottom of it?  Yeah, that.  I tip it a little and look at the bottom of the cup and see if there is starch on the bottom.  If there is, I'd rather not have a lot of it in my hair, so instead, I scoop it up with my finger and rub it into my skin (behind and in ears, along hairline, etc.  I know it sounds silly, but it helps.)  Now, I add water to the rest of the ginger juice until the cup is full. Slowly pour this onto your scalp, all over, leaving just a little bit behind in the bottom of the cup.  Let this sit on your head while you take care of the rest of your shower.  If it starts to burn rinse it right out.  This would mean that it was a little strong.  Use a little bit less next time.  After your done shaving, washing or plucking out your eyebrow hairs (whatever, really none of my business), rinse out your ginger. This is rinse #3.

This last part is optional, but take that cup with just a little bit of diluted ginger juice, and fill it back up with water.  Pour this over your scalp and hair.  This was rinse #4, and I find that it makes a real difference for me.  This tiny trace of ginger seems to help me as some sort of preventative measure against... whatever, until I wash my hair again.

When you're done, don't scrub your head with your towel.  Just squeeze your hair dry with it instead.  I also, always gently blow dry my hair as well.  It's really important to make sure that your hair gets dry before you put it up, or under a hat, or sleep on it.  If it doesn't get dry, it'll mildew.  Really mildew is not just gross, but will definitely give you skin issues, even if you don't already have them.  So, squeeze your hair in a dry spot on your towel, and then come back a few minutes later and do it again.  

That's it for washing your dreadlocks... It takes time, but we usually only wash our dreadlocks about once a week anyway, right?  If you have bangs, like me, just go ahead and wash them every day with your face, while the rest of your hair is pulled back.  If you have any questions, feel free to click on comments below, and ask.  I'll try to clarify any confusion.

How to Make Your Own Dreadlocks

Starting your dreads can be a scary proposition.  It can be particularly daunting if you have hair like mine... Fine, straight, slippery.  I can offer a few words of advice from experience.

*Most salons don't know how to give you dreadlocks.  Even the ones that advertise that they do dreads often only know how to work with one basic hair type, so ask.  It's incredibly awkward to sit in a salon, paying good money to have your hair ruined by someone who looks at you like you're an insane blue eyed, blonde woman.

*Research different methods to see what you like best.  Yeah, I guess you're doing that right now, aren't you?
*Don't expect perfectly mature looking dreadlocks after the first day.  The dreads pictured here were photographed the day they were made. This takes time, baby.
*Remember that your dreads are whatever you want them to be.  Bangs, no bangs, big, small, messy, neat - You get the picture.

So, here's what you do:

Pull up all of your hair, except for the very bottom row at the base of your neck.  Divide this into sections of about the size that you want.  

One section at a time, back comb and roll (roll, you know, like a playdough snake in kindergarten) from top to bottom.  For this process, with each dread, I use a locking powder. There are multiple kinds out there, and it can be purchased online.  A little bit goes a long way, so you don't need a big container.  I purchased the smallest one I could find, and did my own dreads, worked on them until fully locked, and gave two more people dreadlocks with just the one little bottle.

With each dread, you'll find that the more you back comb and roll, the tighter the dread will be.  However, you'll still find annoying bits of hair that seem to want to be fluffy or loop out away from the rest of the lock.  Don't worry, this is great.  Put the tip of your finger through the loosest spots and simply pull the end of your lock through this. This looks the best if you aren't sending the lock through the middle, but instead through a smaller amount of hair at the edge.  This effectively makes that loop wrap around your dread, making it lock up better and look better.  If you do send the lock through the center, it will give it a bit of a braided look.  "Looping through" is a great way to help your dreadlocks lock up nicely near the scalp.  Just remember, use just a little of the dread for looping (probably keep it to less than a quarter of the locks width), or your locks may want to split into two near the skin where you sent the  lock through.  I've seen a lot of sights recommend using small rubber bands for the base of each lock.... I could tell you horror stories about trying this, but I think it's better just to say "Don't".

I like to blunt the tip of each dreadlock, so that I don't have a couple of inches of straight hair at the end.  Back comb all the way to the end, (locking powder really helps here) until you just have a tiny bit of hair sticking out the tip.  This little bit of hair is then pulled, end first, up into the dread.  Many people use a dreadlock tool, that looks like a rug hook, for this.  Not me.  I insert a sewing needle into the end of my dread until only the eye is sticking out.  I then twist up that last little bit of hair, thread it into the needle, and pull the needle through.  This very effectively locks up the end of your dreadlock.  The tighter the needle is in the lock, the more solidly you've just ended your dread.

After doing this to each section of hair in your bottom row, release the next row of hair above it.  Divide this into it's own sections, keeping in mind that you will probably want to center each dreadlock over the part line between two dreads below.  This will help all of your locks to be visible instead of your scalp. Gradually work your way to the top of your head, where you will need to remember to have your hair parted (or not parted, as the case may be) the way you want before you lock it up.

That's basically it.  I'll try to answer questions as they come in, but this should get you started.  After you first lock your hair, try to avoid washing it as long as you can (typically 2 weeks).  When you do wash it, you'll need to do a lot of maintenance at first.  This will be a lot of work in the beginning, but as your dreadlocks lock up, it'll take less and less time.  I will do a post about maintaining your dreads next time I work on mine.

This is what I call "Looping Through".  Be sure to split the lock unevenly, so that a small amount of hair ends up going around the rest.