Dreadies i DID have....

yes...that's right. past tense.

i did start a few dreadlocks with the backcombing method - that picture is right after the combing - but since then I took them out. I don't know what my deal was....perhaps it bugged me only to have 8 done in my nape of my neck only - you know I'm an all or nothing kinda gal - maybe too much time passed and I couldn't find enough time to nurture my dreadies - maybe I started to miss being able to run my fingers in my hair - maybe my head just got too damn itchy especially when i'd see the little dirty lice kids in the neighborhood (get away! get away!) I did like them until they started falling out - getting loose so I'm may start again but now I Have to work my way there to the point of wanting to lock it up for real.

we'll see....

Pretty Mama!

Lookie who stopped by to hold the baby :)

Cute and knotty mama!!!

Done for the night...gotta be.

Yeah, this is a loooong process and I must have a ton of hair.... My arms are aching. More later.

Mama B. keeps burning the midnight oil

I still have all this left....ARRRGGG.





I'm so sleepy.





Just keep moving, just keep moving.





What's that book my three year old loves?





The one that says, "I think I can, I think I can..."

On with it

Who needs sleep?

This is so hard to do on yourself.

Especially when you can't see the top or back of your head.

AND>>>

It feels really stupid to take pictures of yourself.

How many of these will I break?

wouldn't you know it? Half-way through my major work session, the doggie flea comb starts separating and falling apart. You know what happens when the doggie flea comb falls apart? It rips up your hair and makes it all knotty.....and when you're gettin knotty, you really DON'T want to be getting knotty loops in your locks. You want uniform backcombing. But, it was like 1:30 in the morning and my wee ones were sleeping peacefully upstairs, so a run to the store, I could not make. "Press on, Mama", I said to myself. "Persevere!" I will get this side of my head done tonight.....and so I continued.

My head is half done!!!.....still.

Okay, I'm tired. The children are in bed. I need to be sleeping after baking all day and market and this heat.....but, really, I must get this side done. I can't be walking around with half my head done. I'm leaving for Rainbow soon....keep on keeping on, Mama... Between all 5 combined children, us mamas have been gettin knotty solo. Our late night work sessions have ceased for now and we're on our own.
Don't I look hot? (totally just kidding.)

So hot in here....

Definitely slow going...and in this heat...who can stand working on their head for very long. I did manage to get the right side of my head finished up though...I'll work on the other half tomorrow....

still less than half done...

Slow going is the pace I'm working at....I sat down this morning determined to do the right front section by the end of the day. Well...it did NOT work out that way. I broke three combs, including the super sturdy doggie flea comb that was supposed to be indestructible...I didn't expect the plastic rat-tail to last, but the metal teasing comb I bought at Sallie's beauty? Isn't it made for ratting? One swipe and it was broken. What to do? Send my man to return them and get some more, of course! But, it set me back so much by taking that break.....

Oh, one more thing to share...when I told my man that I wanted to lock it up, do you know what he said? "I'll love you a little less with dreadlocks, baby." Really? We'll see.

The work station...

This is where it ALL happens! (you know, the one dreadie a day!) I have a feeling this mirror which I snagged from my bedroom upstairs, may have just become a permanent fixture in my living room.... Whenever I have a few minutes between feeding my three children, washing their clothes, driving around from place to place, wiping a** and trying to keep them engaged in super-natural productive and peaceful play, I sit down and knot up a strand. Thought you'd want to know! Oh, you see that pickle jar with the sticks in it? My son, Nolan gifted me with those "Christmas trees" for my work area and decorated them with bells, shells and beads. Very inspiring! What's at the workstation? A dog flea comb (supa important), a loofah (a must for these fine locks), rubber bands for sectioning (I think I'm over that...I'm just grabbing a hunk and knottin it up), a blowdryer for drying after Mama C makes me scrub with harsh soaps and baking soda, clips and scrunchies for keeping it out of my face, a scarf for when I have to go out, and a cushion to sit on (very necessary)....

How do you wear this hair to a bday party?

So, the children were invited to a swimming party for a friend in the hood and I had already committed to going, before I started locking it up. On the way there, I was trying to decide how to wrap it so it wouldn't look half done and my very "9" daughter said to me, " Mom, I want you to cover it....you aren't going to embarrass me in front of everyone!" Ahh, adolescence...I remember the days of being embarrassed by my folks, but man, I didn't think we were there yet. Anyway, I wrapped the scarf around my head so none of the locks really showed. She said it was satisfactory and I could get out of the car. Thanks, Teah. What she doesn't realize it that I'm positive that I'll embarrass her many more times and over things much more important than the way I choose to wear my hair!

The day after...

How do you go to the store to buy flour when you're sportin three wack hairstyles? Yeah, under this hat, I'm workin locks in the underneath back, long and lovely on the top back and braids on the sides and front....One a day is definitely the pace we're working at...

a dreadie a day

seems to be our time frame!

Yeah - the mamas are definitely on a slow and very fun path!

LOOK at those pictures....

my god are we cute.

h-a-h-a!!

so how many combs did you break today mama?

2:15am... we gots to be done

Okay, so Mama C's been workin on my head all night and I've ended up with six locks...what? True... word to all the mothers,

gettin knotty takes time!

Listen up!

Blonde Mamas,

don't forget to loofah those supa fine locks!

The backcombing bitch...

She really is fierce! Look how tired we are! We mamas just can't hang the way we used to! We're both going to pay for this in the morning when the children wake up!

YUCK!

section, section, section...
Look how talented Mama C is, she can talk on the phone and lock up my hair at the same time!..Look, three little locks...
Yippee!!

Promised pictures!

I decided today's the day....let's get knotty! 9:00pm... I was on my way over to Mama C's so we could get knotty together.

Thanks for helping me get knotty, Mama C!

I cannot tell you all how much I love my devoted Mama friend! We began the process right after bedtime...around 9:30pm...and it is now 2:22 and I've just walked in my door. Did we finish? Hell No! Mama C, backcombing bitch that she is, ratted my hair and ratted and took a break to nurse the wee one and drank some chai and then got right back to the ratting....and almost finished the back of my head. We still have one layer left in the back and both sides and front! Wow! I definitely think the 4-8 hour time estimate on the knotty boy website was an optimistic one. I do have a ton of hair though..that shit is thick!
So, we took some pics of the process and I'll try and post them sometime tomorrow. Please excuse the stupid looks on both of our faces, we seemed to get more and more loopy as the night went on! We really needed a professional cameraman to document the progress...but, Ayden really needed to sleep. Just kidding, we wouldn't really wake up a five year old and force him into slave labor in the middle of the night!
You know, I'm going to say one more thing and then I'm so going to bed....Thanks to mama Sara on Mothering.commune for the loofah tip! It really did come in handy getting this fine mop of mine to fluff up....we wondered what the loofah was for!
Alright, goodnight to all. I love my locks and just hope they don't get f***** up during the night! We'll see.

Dread Care from hipforums.com

Visit the Hip Forum thread:

Dread Care And Maintenance Q&A (BASICS ANSWERED HERE!)

for tons of advice and dreadlock direction!

Nappy Mums at Mothering .com

Dreadlock tribe has been spotted at mothering.com

Looks like some good info, love and support is being shared - along with pictures, hair updates, shampooing, wearing and knotting advice.

Let's Get Knotty Together

Q. What's better than being knotty solo?

A. Being knotty with your best friend!

Yippee - Mama B & Mama C are going to embark on this knotty journey together! Thank god - cuz no one wants to rat up the back of their head by themself.

:) and two is always more fun than one!

Hey Mama B - can I getcha to blog with me??

To Wax or Not to Wax??

Everything I've read or linked to up to this point has been advocating the use of dread wax - usually a beeswax product.

Here are some websites that say wax is unnecessary or even bad for dreads:

Comments from the article How to Make Dreadlocks by eHow.com - be sure to read all 3 pages of comments - there's tons of opinions, advice and even a few recipes for accelerators, locking agents and light conditioners.

I found this page with lots of no wax talk too??

wow - there's definitely some differing advice - even some anti-backcombers too that say all natural is the way to go... just letting that shit knot up over the years!

HA. i can't see that going over real well in my world.... i wanted these dreadies yesterday so minimal waiting appeals to me.

AND if I decide to go with the non-waxin' backcombing advice, I could start that technique asap instead ordering and waiting for the pricey dread goods to arrive.

Hmmmm? What's a knotty girl to do??

Experimental Dreadie

So my experimental dreadlock is still kickin'





I've had to tighten it up quite a few times but it's growing on me - which is the point of my knotty little secret back there hiding under the rest of my un-knotted mop - to see if I would dig a whole head full of locks....

and I'm thinking that I will :)


So here's picture of my experimental dreadie:

It's kinda hard to see my dark lock on my dark shirt but look close - it's there. It's also real hard to take a picture of ones' self holding a sweet baby but where's your man when you need him??

It's so needing some wax - so looks like I'll be visiting knottyboy.com soon for some stuffs.

Also, from the looks of the below picture, btw - this one was taken by my man - notice how I have no head - just tits - so You Know it was taken by a guy - anyways.... the lock - definitely needing a palm roll or a little tightening with the back comb.

Keep lockin' up little dreadie :)