gibraltar bun help

[nostalgic]

this may sound a little strange considering that my hair is waaay too short to do, well, anything other than a half and half/almost ponytail.... but i'm completely addicted to this site and have been stockpiling instructions for when my hair does get long enough ;). Does anyone know where i can find good video instructions for a Gibraltar Bun? i've checked youtube and have done a search here... but i think i'm missing something :confused:
any help is much appreciated!

[Peggy E.]

this may sound a little strange considering that my hair is waaay too short to do, well, anything other than a half and half/almost ponytail.... but i'm completely addicted to this site and have been stockpiling instructions for when my hair does get long enough ;). Does anyone know where i can find good video instructions for a Gibraltar Bun? i've checked youtube and have done a search here... but i think i'm missing something :confused:
any help is much appreciated!

This is going to sound sort of weird, too, but how do you know you're "missing something" when your hair is too short to try the style? The only way I ever figure out I'm totally lost is when I'm in the midst of attempting a style on my hair and it's not working....something that occurs far too often!

Of course, you might be attempting to do it on a volunteer, which would explain why you can't figure it out and are seeking this assistance. Which, sadly, you're not going to be getting from me, 'cause I can't do it, either!

[nostalgic]

Peggy, i meant that i'm 'missing something' in that i can't find any instructions and i'm sure they're right under my nose somwhere! :o

[LeaM07]

This (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/blog.php?b=9302) (from my blog) is about as close as I can get, but I don't think the top loop is really supposed to be pulled across as much as mine is. Check out Cortese's instructions (link is in that blog post) for a nice diagram. :)

[nostalgic]

thank you! i think i have the concept now... we'll have to see when i'm actually able to practice :p

[dorothea-brooke]

Nightshade has also posted some nice instructions (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?p=204513#post204513) on how to do this with a Ficcare.

One caveat, though, for when you do try it: make sure the Ficcare is wide open when you slide the bottom part back into the bun. The first time I tried it, I caught the teeth of the top part of the Ficcare in my hair -- ouch!

dorothea

[nostalgic]

dorthea-brooke, can you do this with a ficcarisimo? i haven't invested in one yet, but i've been looking and i like the more even look of these as opposed to the maximus......

[Delenn]

dorthea-brooke, can you do this with a ficcarisimo? i haven't invested in one yet, but i've been looking and i like the more even look of these as opposed to the maximus......

I can confirm that yes, this bun works with a ficcarissimo. :D

[dorothea-brooke]

I can confirm that yes, this bun works with a ficcarissimo. :D

Hee! I had just copied the link where you said this on the earlier thread, Delenn! You beat me to it....

[frizzinator]

It's not necessary to stretch the inside loop, I just insert the toy into and exit the bun through the inside loop.

[Chromis]

It's not necessary to stretch the inside loop, I just insert the toy into and exit the bun through the inside loop.

Er, would that mean you are threading through the outer loop then? Pulling the inner loop over changes which loop is inside so I'm having trouble picturing this, but I'm very intrigued since I have trouble pulling the inside loop over!

[dorothea-brooke]

It's not necessary to stretch the inside loop, I just insert the toy into and exit the bun through the inside loop.

Yes, I agree. I don't stretch it out on purpose, but I do find that I have to kind of pull on it a bit in order to get the stick (especially if it's a longer one) back out through the inside loop.

So while I don't grab and stretch the whole thing the way some folks do, it ends up a bit stretched out as I search for the right spot to exit from ... if that makes any sense. :p

dorothea

[frizzinator]

Er, would that mean you are threading through the outer loop then? Pulling the inner loop over changes which loop is inside so I'm having trouble picturing this, but I'm very intrigued since I have trouble pulling the inside loop over!


Here is a photo of a flipped cinnamon bun held with a Mei Fa stick, inserted like I do for the Gibraltar Bun. I insert the stick (or Ficarre) into the inside coil, then grab some scalp hair with the stick and exit from that same coil on the other side of the bun. It is acting kind-of like a slide.

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee178/frizzliz/41508058.jpg

[LeaM07]

It's not necessary to stretch the inside loop, I just insert the toy into and exit the bun through the inside loop.I think frizzinator is right. If you insert the stick in the right side of the inside loop, weave it kind of under the bun, and poke it out the left side of the inner loop, you get the same Gibraltar effect, without the extra step. I made a note in my blog instructions, but need to update the pictures. :)

Stretching might help in some circumstances, say, if there's a significant distance between the inner and outer loop making it difficult to let the stick do the work (or if you make your buns too tight and are breaking sticks)... guess you'd call that a variation, though. ;)

[frizzinator]

I don't have to purposely insert or exit in any particular spot within the inside coil, because as Dorothea-Brooke indicated, no matter where I insert the toy within the inside coil, the stick will naturally gravitate over to the outside edge of the inside coil.

[spidermom]

It's not necessary to stretch the inside loop, I just insert the toy into and exit the bun through the inside loop.

But an unstretched inside loop = cinnamon roll bun, does it not?

[frizzinator]

But an unstretched inside loop = cinnamon roll bun, does it not?


Yes, Spidermom, you are correct.


For me, stretching the loop made no difference at all regarding the solid hold of the Gibraltar bun, and I think the secure hold is the main advantage of the Gibraltar bun, and the way the toy is inserted is what holds the bun securely.


I think the Gibraltar bun looks just like a cinnamon bun anyway, so for me, I don't think there is any advantage in stretching the loop. In fact, I broke some hairs while I was stretching the inside coil over the outside coil. Therefore, I don't do it.

[dorothea-brooke]

What frizzinator said.... :grin:

For me it's not quite the same as a cinnabun, cause the inside coil does naturally get stretched out a bit as I grab it and poke the stick through (while exiting). So mine don't look quite as much like pure cinnabuns as in frizzinator's picture.

I'll take a pic to show this in a couple of days -- I washed my hair yesterday so all updos are goofy-looking for a couple more days. :rolleyes:

dorothea

[spidermom]

I do pull the inner coil over the outer coil. It makes the bun bigger and less structured looking for me, which I like. I hate it when my bun turns out looking like a pull-knob for a cabinet door.

[dorothea-brooke]

I do pull the inner coil over the outer coil. It makes the bun bigger and less structured looking for me, which I like. I hate it when my bun turns out looking like a pull-knob for a cabinet door.

Hee hee! :D

I also hate when the hair around it looks like the cabinet door -- i.e., smooth and wood-like.

Sometimes I end up with these very structured "ballerina buns" that just make me feel psychologically uptight all day! :lol:

dorothea

[spidermom]

Sometimes I end up with these very structured "ballerina buns" that just make me feel psychologically uptight all day! :lol:

dorothea

I hear ya! When I'm gardening or house cleaning, that's really the only way to go.

[embee]

This (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/blog.php?b=9302) (from my blog) is about as close as I can get, but I don't think the top loop is really supposed to be pulled across as much as mine is. Check out Cortese's instructions (link is in that blog post) for a nice diagram. :)

Oooh. Thanks for this. I spent the evening reading Cortese's site, everything was interesting, and the hair updo instructions were great! I had to stop playing in front of the mirror when my arms threatened to fall off!

frizzinator, that flipped cinnamon bun is thudworthy *gorgeous*. My hair, being extremely different, will never look like that. Heck, I've never gotten a cinnamon bun to work (hangs head in shame) much less a *flipped* one. My hair slinks out of one in minutes. pout