dutch/cobra braid..help bringing around your front?

[hairbrain]

I cannot for the life of me bring a dutch braid around the front to finish and
I'm looking for some assistance.
Im more of a visual learner though,
so if there's anyone who can help with pics or links I would be so grateful!
I can finish with a regular braid but sometimes
I think that may be wrong too, just because it twists.
My cobra braids have to be finished by coming up over my head
and resting the braid on my head and braiding down in front of my
face !:o
You'd think I'd know this by NOW ! :rolleyes:

[Gumball]

No links really, but have you tried taking a look in the mirror when you pull the braid up and over your head? That might be a good troubleshooter to help ensure that when you start braiding the rest of the length you're doing it so it matches the rest of the braid. I have to check the mirror if I bring a braid over my left shoulder to braid the length, but I can do it on the right side just fine without a mirror. It's just me needing to reorient myself with the positions of the strands.

[hairbrain]

I've tried the mirror method and I end up turning it into a
regular braid :o but thanks Gumball!
I'll keep practicing...and if anyone has a visual...
I tried youtube but every one I see brings around front where you
cant see.
I searched the boards and found a nice thread
started by PhysicsChick (thanks chickie! forgot about that one)
but nothing that helps me as far
as switching from behind to in front.

I'll keep practicing but I know someones reading this
that can help me :D click on reply ! heeeeelp me pleeeeeze LOL

[Juliet's Silk]

Hum yeah well it's just the opposite of braiding a french braid.
When you do it behind your head, the strands go UNDER the braid for a dutch braid.
However, if you bring the braid to the front, you have to do it the opposite way, crossing the strands OVER the braid. If you would continue to cross the strands UNDER the braid like you did it behind your back, it will turn into a regular (french) braid.

[hairbrain]

if you bring the braid to the front, you have to do it the opposite way, crossing the strands OVER the braid
hmmm thats a good point! thx

[podo]

I was going to say the same thing - a dutch braid and a french braid are the exact same things, except they're reversed.

If you braid a regular braid and then turn it over you'll see the dutch pattern.

So if you're doing dutch behind you and you bring it over your shoulder, you SHOULD do a regular braid because you're looking at the underside (the reverse side).

If you're putting all your hair up, try to get at least 3-4 plaits in before you move it over your shoulder. This will give you some space to make sure you're starting correctly when you switch your hands.

If you notice your braid doing a half twist, chances are that you've altered your strands, perhaps catching parts of one strand in the other strands. I notice this every time I try to even out my strands in the middle of braiding.

The other piece of advice is to make check the mirror when you move the braid to make sure you don't skip a plait. I do this a lot when I'm working on my 5-strand, but once you get into the habit of it you'll just know where you are. :)