Blythe Reroot #1: Black & Pink Saran

Blythe Reroot #1: Saran reroot in black and pink

After a long delay, I was finally able to put in some time to a long-planned Blythe project. The plan was to customise a Blythe doll, or at least attempt to. Or at least, the first part of it. This is a project of firsts—my first attempt at rerooting a Neo Blythe scalp. (2019 update: Shamefully admitting I have yet to get to work on the doll itself!)

I had actually planned to do this around 2 years ago, but I was so busy with work that I was not making any progress. I was finally able to make some progress with the reroot in November 2015. And in the last 2 months (July and August 2016), I was finally able to complete it.

So this doll is supposed to be a dolly version of a real life person, a friend of mine. So to replicate her hair (at the time I conceived the plan), I rerooted the scalp with black and pink saran, which I bought at Azone at Radio Hall, Akihabara during one of my Japan trips.

Used lock-loop method (or, locked loop, lock-and-loop). For this, I am super grateful to the lock-loop reroot tutorial by L♥valizious, Mademoiselle Blythe on the beauty of saran, and Milky Robot's sea kelp reroot post. L♥valizious also comprehensively explains how to prepare the scalp.

Initially, I used a 1.00mm crochet hook, but after one-third the way through, I settled on using a 0.60mm Clover crochet hook. Bought the 0.60mm Clover crochet hook during one of my craft-browsing trips to Chinatown. With its fine nib and comfortable handle, I think I've found my go-to rerooting tool.

Side parting

Other than keeping everything thing neat, my other biggest rerooting issue was the parting/thatch-line. I re-did and shifted the parting at least thrice before I moved on.

The underside

The experienced customisers all give comfort, saying for one's first attempt, it's normal to struggle with neatness. So yes, the underside of the scalp is rather messy at parts. :(

Blythe Reroot #1, front

Struggled with neatness at the crown and the thatch line, but slowly got neater at the halfway point.... Had to patch some gaps. I didn't find patching the gaps very difficult. The tutorials give some advice on plugging gaps. I suppose there's no set method, and everyone has a preferred method.

I missed some loops. To to fix it, I'd loop it over a neighbouring plug, and thread the ends into a large-eyed needle, and pull the needle through the hole. Though, when I missed 2 consecutive ones, I just used a reef knot to lock the 2 loops of hair plugs together. Probably not how I should be fixing the missed holes.......

Blythe Reroot #1, back

Finally completed the rerooting! Gave it a thorough wash with warm water, shampoo and conditioner.