I style: Crochet weave
Hello people, How's it going?Last week I limped between doing a crochet weave (aka crochet braids) and faux locs as a protective style. I decided on the crochet weave because I've never done it before.
In case you don't know what a crochet weave is, it starts like a regular sew-in weave: with cornrows. Then instead of using hair with tracks, you use loose or bulk hair and just tie pieces of hair to each cornrow using a latch hook needle, until your whole head is covered.
I got two packs of Xpression Rich Braid in colour 2. It's kanekalon braiding hair and costs just N500 apiece.
To prepare my hair I wanted to clean, strengthen, condition and stretch my hair. So-
1. Ayurvedic treatment with amla, brahmi and shikakai to clean and strengthen at once.
2. Conditioned with Beautiful Textures Rapid Repair deep conditioner + coconut and olive oil.
3. Stretched by threading. Post coming up.
A day later I put in cornrows and left out hair in front to cover.
I would however recommend that you do something curving forwards like this:
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I cut the braiding hair into two, keeping in mind that the actual length will be half of that, and feathered it. Tucked the ends of my cornrow under and pinned them in place. Then I began.
I watched a youtube video a while ago showing how to install crochet braids using just a bobby pin. Since I don't own a latch hook needle, I worked with a bobby pin instead.
It was time consuming for me. I started at about 7pm on Saturday, worked until 11pm and went to bed, continued the next day for six more hours. That's 10 hours in all. Whew! I'm sure it's because I'm new at this though, and because I had to cut and feather the braiding hair as I went along.
When I was finally done this is what it looked like:
I was unimpressed. It was just blah to me. I decided I would take it out the next day so I was ready to experiment fearlessly. I cut the ends almost straight across and out of curiosity I curled it with flexi rods. I left a few cm at the top uncurled and concentrated on the bottom. Then I dipped in very hot water and kept the rods in overnight.
In the morning:
I was surprised at how curly it was. I thought it would be just wavy so I didn't curl my own leave-out hair.
It wasn't exactly blending with my hair but I was starting to really like it.
That night I curled my own hair on flexi rods and on day 2:
I took it out after six days because I was neglecting my hair, m&s only on my leave-out. Worst behaviour. Plus I wanted to wear my own hair out for NITC8 (which I ended up missing. Sigh)
I enjoyed this style thoroughly for as long as it lasted and I'll definitely do something like this again.
Now it's out and I'm waiting a little while before my next protective style. Let me know what you think in the comment section.
Toodles!
NGND.
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