Have you ever thought of becoming a professional loctician? Are you a hairdresser and you would like to add this service to your business? Are you tired of your job and you’d like to take a different path?
If you love working with your hands and being creative, then this course is definitely for you. Come and learn how to create well made natural dreadlocks with extensions, how to maintain and style them using the crochet technique.
Professional Loctician Course
What, where & When:
Learn all my secrets & practice the art of dreadlocks
This time I’ve got some exciting styling tips for you and your dreadlocks. I’ve been making some spiral locks and I couldn’t but share this news and a tutorial on “How to wear a spiral lock” with you.
So it’s still lock down right? Don’t know about you but I still didn’t get a chance to get bored. Why? Because of my hands not wanting to stop making. Which is not a bad thing right? So this time I’ve been making some spiral locks! Yes spiral locks are this beautiful long colourful strips that can bend around your dreads and stay where you put them.
A spiral lock can be used as an alternative to elastic bands that sometimes can be harmful to the dreads if they are holding them too tight. The spiral lock can gently hold your dreads up with out suffocating them or giving them too much pressure.
And the best part is that you can wear a spiral lock in so many ways. I made a little video for you here to check it out.
How to wear a Spiral Lock Tutorial:
Spiral Lock Uses:
Pony tale holder/maker (I don’t even know if you can call it like this lol)
To decorate the area around your dread bun
Wear it as a bracelet
Wear it as a necklace
Yaaaas! So, I hope you liked it and found all the spiral lock functionalities useful! Because it is a super handy item to have! I wear mine every day and I love it! If you’d like to purchase the spiral locks press down here 👇
One of the most common questions I get from people about dreads is “how to wash dreads”, “what products are good for dreads” or “what shampoo to use”
You have probably heard me numerous times saying that you don’t need extravagant products for your dreads. What you need, is a clean, residue free soap bar or shampoo.
Now of course, there is a choice of a few different brands to find the one that suits you. Another thing to take into consideration is that everyone has a different scalp. That means, that not all the products will work the same on everyone.
Raw Roots Organic
I personally found one that suits my scalp more than any other made by Raw Roots Organic. They are a Danish brand which is eco-friendly and their products are organic. Good for you, your hair and the environment.
I like their products so much, therefore I started a collaboration with them and now you can find some of their dreadlock related products on my shop
This herbal liquid shampoo is great for dreadlocks. It cleans scalp and dreadlocks using mild detergents and organic plant extracts. 🌱
Some of the basic ingredients are tea tree oil, peppermint oil, nettle extract, apple cider vinegar and no residue! 🌻 The Herbal Cleanser is super natural and can help stimulate the scalp and prevents/relieves itching, dandruff, balance PH, hair loss, removes residue and other scalp problems ✨
The Greenie Genie is by far my favourite product for washing dreads! And it’s pretty foamy too! 🧼⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It’s nourishing for the scalp with green organic ingredients, Himalayan salt that provides minerals for the skin and help to tighten and maintain loose hair 🌿
Both the liquid Shampoo and the Soap Bar are available on the shop and you can order them online or pick them up when you visit the shop.
I’m here for another tutorial to show you How To Make a Half Dreadlock Bun for your dreads. This time I made a video because a lot of you have been asking on social media how I did this Half Dreadlock Bun, so here you go!
Follow the steps and it should be easy enough!
Watch the video to see how I did it:
Below you can read what happens in the video, follow the steps and it should be quite easy:
1. Let your dreadlocks loose
Your dreads need to be free so that you can choose which dreads you’d like to put in the bun.
2. Grab the dreads from the top part of your head
This is the first part you will be using to create a base for your bun
3. Tie them with an elastic band in a ponytail
Use an elastic band to tie your dreadlocks nice and tide in half a ponytail.
4. Wrap the ponytail dreads around the base of the ponytail
This will be the first part where the base is created and it will help you give volume to your bun.
5. Grab an extra layer of dreads
This is the last part of dreadlocks you will be using.
6. Cross them over the bun
7. Tie them at the back
Tie your dreadlocks in a simple knot at the back of your bun. This should keep your dreads quite steady. Your bun wont be moving from here unless you really try
8. Tuck the loose dreads in the bun
Gently tuck the loose dreads in the bun or you can also let some out for extra decoration. You can be creative here and play with the final look.
I hope you are all doing well despite the lock down that it’s still going in the UK. It seems like we are slowly getting back on track in the shop with a few changes but we are re-opening again! That’s so exciting since we’ve been distancing from each other been so many months.
Shop Re-Opening:
So, as of tomorrow the shop is opening again! Woohoo! There will be no dreadlock appointments taking place yet, but you can visit for a consultation, to book a new appointment and to check what’s in the shop.
New Arrivals:
We just had new arrivals from my last trip to Bali. The items from there are just 👌 There is a big variety of beautiful bohemian home decor that will take you on a trip to the tropics 🏝️ And of course, plenty more handmade creations and dreadlock accessories from, Morocco, India, Turkey and Thailand.
Last week I had the great opportunity to be interviewed by @cocheremagazine about dreadlock care! 🌿I’ve attached below the post they did with all the useful information about dreadlocks, sustainable hair and how to take care of them:
“Dreadlocks are probably one of the hardest hairstyles to get done, but there are certain myths that have always been associated with it.
Maintenance, as much as it is a must, it’s easy and hassle free. Loctitian, @crafterelena , has had dreadlocks for 11 years herself, and has managed to look after them in the most sustainable manner, using natural oils and a few weekly, monthly and annual regimes.
“A lot of people have the misconception that dreads cannot be washed which is false. Dreads can be really clean and tidy too.
” Dreads are the most natural form of hair that one doesn’t need to worry much about. You wake up in the morning and your hair is in style, it’s literally a 5 minute job or less to tie them in a bun or style them. Swipe to find out more about the how’s and what’s of dreadlocks!”
Check @cocheremagazine out form more sustainable ways of living! 🦋I love this kind of stuff and I’d love to be supporting more causes like this! 🧚♀️
Find more useful information about your dreadlock care here:
How to maintain your dreadlock roots with the crochet needle method
Hey guys,
I hope you are all doing great!
I know it’s quarantine times and you are all a little bit limited in doing your usual visits to your locticians, barbers and hairdressers. 💇
So, after a lot of requests from my lovely clients and dreaded friends, I made this video tutorial on “How to Fix your Dreadlock Roots”. The goal to help you go through this hard hairy time 👩🦱 😀
I hope you enjoy the video and it helps.
And here there is a step by step instructions on how to do exactly what I explained in the video with the visual representation of photos 📷
Tools & Steps:
1 x Crochet needle You need a crochet needle either 0.6mm or 0.75mm. I usually prefer the 0.75mm.
Scissors
You might need the scissors to separate the loose hair and direct them in the dread they belong. Be careful though, as accidents might happen so only use them if you are sure of where you are cutting.
Find a dread with a loose root
Separate the loose hairs to the according dreads.
Make sure you create a separate line between the dreads so that your dreads don’t start growing together.
Twist the loose hair around your root
Hold the dread root tide
The loose hair should be in your hand too
Put the needle through the middle of the dread
Keep holding the dread and the loose hair tight at this point. It’s important to keep hold of them so you control what you are pulling in and where.
Pull the loose hair in, up to the middle of the dread.
Repeat the movement a few times to get the dreadlock tight.
Try and move the needle left and right up and down and twist the dread so you can get it tide all around and not just in one place. This will help in keeping your dreads knit for longer too.
Repeat on each dreadlock root you would like to maintain.
I hope you found this video and blog post useful. Please get in touch if you have any questions.
Check my shop:
If you need a crochet needle you can find it here plus some oils for dreadlock care, and a lot more dreadlock accessories:
And please, SUBSCRIBE!! 😄
To get regular updates follow @Crafterelena on Insta!!
And what a month is just leaving us! March 2020 has been definitely one of the most crazy times in years and I’m sure 2020 will continue to be. Corona Virus or Covid-19 is definitely shaking the grounds for everyone. So here is a little update about what’s going on from my end.
I just got back from Bali on Monday after a mad trip and almost not coming due to countries closing borders, but an hour before we fly we managed to book another flight to come back to UK ✈ Otherwise we would get stuck there..
M️aybe you remember my stories from then.. ➡️
Definitely a place to visit again, not just Bali, but Indonesia in general. You know the fascination I have with culture… Well Indonesia is a place with a very reach one!
I found some great new products to style your homes and dreads that I can’t wait to share with you but it will be some time for that due to the situation at the moment.. I’ll definitely write about them on another blog post for you to read about the whole experience there 😊💻
Dreadock Appointments
For now as you already know if you are following my socials, Insta and Fb I’ve not been taking any dreadlock appointments since I came back due to the lock down of corona virus and until further notice and I’m contacting everyone personally for rearrangements of their appointments.. I’m preparing extensions at home though, and taking future appointment bookings for when the shop is open to the public again.
Online Shop:
The online shop is open so you can still make your orders online and I’ll send them to you along with a virtual hug 🤗to thank you for your support in this difficult times.
I hope you find ways to spend this time safe, give your self time to process what we are doing here on earth. At least now we’ve got the time more than ever! And the most important, if you can be creative, please do so. It helps our brains to be happier and to express.
Take this as a gift.
Change is hard but it’s one of the most beautiful things that can happen to the humanity because this is how we evolve.
And we will come out of this stronger!
Sending you loads of Love & Craft but for now stay at home and I’m hoping to see you all again soon. If you have any questions regarding your dreads, a craft project or you want ideas about how to make your space beautiful, give me a shout and I’ll try my best to help you 🙂
CrafterElena x
Maybe try and make your own macrame jewellery with some waxed cord?
Today I’ve got some news to share with you that we are moving to a new location.
In the past 8 years I’ve seen my little business grow from beaches, to living rooms, to balconies, to craft fairs and then to the studio I am now in..
The time has come where I have to leave my little heaven at the Ropeworks. It’s been 5 years of a beautiful expansion which I’m really grateful of! I have to say I’ll miss my little cave but the wheel of fortune has now turned for me and I’m definitely ready to move on.
But don’t worry I’m not going far!! I’ll be just around the corner in “Houldsworth Mill Shopping Centre”building my new studio! 😉
I am excited and can’t wait for what new “Crafter” will bring. All I can promise is more and more Dreaded Crafty Adventure.
So For Now…
Enjoy a 15% OFF on all our products till the 28th of March (YaaaY) as the shop will be closed from the 29th of May – 5th of June.