Crochet dreadlocks, crochet locs, instant loss… So many names for this method to start the journey. Let’s explore and let me share my experiences so far…

This has been a popular topic when people ask me about my loss… I have now updated it after nearly 4 years of choosing to return to semi-freeforming and seeing how this way of starting locos has worked for me.

Crochet Locs Update! After 3 years and 8 months…

>> Click here to watch the video!

This is where it all began (the initial starter post)…

I am on round 2 of my loc journey – and there are many differences in how I started and maintain my locs now, compared to my first set.

The pics above shows my loose hair freshly washed with plenty of shrinkage – the day before I got my new locs in place 🙂

I used a crochet hook – but in a different way to the interlocking method…

I think many natural hair ladies/men know about the interlocking method using a crochet hook as it is a popular way to begin and maintain locs:

So when I told people that I was starting my locs again with a crochet hook, the assumption was it would be the same method as above.

But I was surprised that not many locers knew about the other way to start/maintain locs with a crochet hook – and this may be partly to do with the fact that this method seems to be a more popular method with locers who have European/Straighter hair textures.

Good News: It works really well with kinky curly hair too 🙂

What this other method looks like…

I had a loctician who had spent 15 years locing hair with this method (on all hair types) and he was delighted to see my full head of hair to work on 🙂

It took the whole day (due to my hair length and thickness) – so he kindly cleared his diary for me and we got chatting, relaxing, listening to music, making locs and eating veggie food during breaks at his home studio. A great day with plenty of food for thought 🙂

This was my first loctician visit and the first time I let anyone (other than my mother) do anything to my locs (even with my first set) – so I was sure to get recommendations first and I loved the energy he had 🙂

This was how my loctician started my new locs using this method:

⭐️ Part the hair in brick layer pattern first and secure each section

My loctician first started by parting my hair from the back, working his way upwards – equal sizes for most of the head,  smaller for the top area.

He parted them in a bricklayer pattern – the main reason for this layout was so that the locs overlapped and there were no gaps – plus the root base of each loc is strong and won’t thin out (my main concern!).

After each section was made, he secured it by making small temporary twists until he returned to loc them up.

⭐️ For each hair section: Twisting and crocheting

Buy this crochet hook:

Again, starting from the back, he gently twisted the section and started crocheting from the root to the tip.

The action of the crocheting was literally putting the crochet at the base of the loc, pulling it out and in – at a fast speed. This slowly locs the hairs up inside… he slowly twisted the hair section again to keep the shape. And return to the in/out action of crocheting the loc, working upwards again. This continues until he works his way to the tip where he loops the ends to form a blunt loc end.

With this method, you will experience shrinkage in length – I lost around 1-2 inches with this method.

That’s all there is to it! 🙂

My loc routine now…

Semi-freeforming & maintaining frizz

I am well into the teenage stage of the locing process… my locs are very frizzy and I’m embracing this. But I am making sure that I occasionally maintain my loose hair using this method below in the video…

Simple products & routine

I fell right back into my old routine from ym first set of locs – shampoo once a week, clarify once a month (Apple Cider Vinegar and baking soda rinsing) and that’s pretty much it!

What are the advantages and disadvantages of this method?

Locs look mature straight away!

From the moment my loctician did my locs, they looked mature already! It was almost as if I had fast-forwarded my loc journey and I now had locs that looked a few years old.

The baby locs still feel soft and like baby locs though – they had a “hollow puffy” feeling to them – the inside of my locs clearly needed to become more compact… and this only can happen with time and as the locs mature. But from a visual point of view, you couldn’t tell.

The only visual sign was after washing my locs a few times during the first month, my locs became thinner as the hair became more compact and loced. Plus, no matter how you start your locs, the frizzy hair is part of the teenage stage of locing!

Locs won’t fall apart

I started my first set of locs with braids… my hair type seems to untangle VERY easily so all the other ways of locing at the time just fell apart after a few days!

I knew I needed a locing method that would keep my hair together, long enough to form locs eventually. This method is perfect. From day 1 (like the braid method), I washed my locs and enjoyed the freedom to style with no worries that my hair would loosen up.

Locs are easy to maintain by your Self

I wanted a method that was easy to maintain my Self… and a method where I did not need to go to the loctician again after the first initial loc set-up.

I haven’t been back to my loctician since he started them – not because I don’t like his work (I do love his energy!), but because I really didn’t need to. It’s so easy to just let them do their own thing! And if you do want to tame your loose hairs, a crochet hook is all you need, plus you can choose to maintain your roots by twisting them and they hold very easily!

Disadvantages? Hmmmm….

I honestly can’t think of any right now lol! 🙂

Ohhhh OK, maybe one…. it might be a little tricky to comb out these locs in the future – but I’m not planning to do this any time soon so it’s OK with me!