Rerooting problems (needle and thread method)

[WhiteDove01s]

I finally have all supplies together for reroots, and tried to start with the Evil Overlord's giant Barbie (I think it was called Superstar Barbie? Not sure, and not that relevant anyway).

I have 3" soft sculpture doll needles, so far the problem doesn't seem to be them.

For this particular doll I'm using hair that came off some kiddie hairband-wig costume things from the dollar tree. Cheap stuff, but it seems thicker and stronger than the nice kanekalon and acetate I'll be working with later... which makes this all the more worrying.

For thread I'm using Coats&Clark Extra Strong 100% Nylon Upholstery thread. I tried it doubled the first time, but the second two times tried just a single strand with a knot on one end.

Now, here's what's happened... I'm doing a needle and thread method reroot and I'm following all the directions I've seen:
Doll needle goes in head backwards, pick up thread, needle goes back in head to make loop, put hair through loop and even ends, pull thread (and the middle of the hair) back into the doll head.

It's sometimes a bit hard to pull the hair into the head, and it kind of 'pops' a bit, but that didn't worry me too much. What worries me is that... two or three plugs in, it'll sometimes be almost impossible to get the hair and thread to go in the head, there will be a pop... and my thread will come loose. Not broken, but loose all the way back to the original knot. It's pulling itself out of the hair. And after that, the hair comes out. The last time, the first plug of hair had also been broken in half, apparently by the knot pulling loose through the loop of hair.

I get that that probably means that part of my problem is 'pulling too hard', but I can't get the thread and hair to go in the head otherwise. What am I doing wrong here? Should I use more hair, less hair, regular thread instead of the upholstery stuff (it's not that much bigger around). Maybe work with the head heated?

I'm stumped, have a stress headache, and my desk is covered in hair. Please help.

[SetsunaKou]

:hugs: It's tough to reroot but I think what you're missing is the first thing you do, before you start adding the hair plugs, is to go up the head/neck hole with the knotted thread, out the top in an inconspicuous area, then about 1-2mm away or in the next plug hole, go back down into the head from the top but don't put any hair in yet.

This is sort of the way to 'knot' the thread into the head so it doesn't come loose and out through the hair plugs. It secures it to the head so it won't come out no matter how hard you pull.

Once you 'secure' it to the head that way, just come back out through the neck hole and start as if you were just beginning again, this time putting the plug of hair in the loop. Of course, don't go in the same hole/area you just put the 'securing knot' in the head--go at least a few millimeters away. ^^

I've rooted hundreds of heads this method and often forget to start with that securing knot, too!
That should do the trick for you!!!

[WhiteDove01s]

Thanks so much! I knew there had to be something I was missing. XD

... incidentally, what do you do when you get to the END of the thread? XD Is there a trick to knotting it off when done too?

[DollyKim]

I can't say for an ending knot, I just cut the thread off at the neck. Unless someone sits and methodically pulls the plugs out they should hold. You can tie the old end to a new end with a knot small enough to get through a plug. If you're popping make sure the plugs aren't too thick. And if you think the plugs are going in too deep you can gently pull on it, while holding on to the thread, to get it closer to the scalp.

You'll literally get the feel for it soon.

[WhiteDove01s]

*nods* I was definitely putting too much hair in the earlier times. I now have a little rule about making sure that, doubled over, the resulting amount of hair would be thinner than the needle I'm using. XD Another thing that still causes a pop now and then unless I catch it is if I get a twist in the thread.

I've got about half an inch (in a single line) of magenta hair in place, without any more major issues.