At a recent EGA meeting, someone gave me about 2 years' worth of Soft Dolls and Animals magazine. On a good day, my machine and I might be able to complete a simple body but I will never have the patience, dexterity or skills to paint or sculpt a face to my liking or make clothes. Despite these 'shortcomings', I practically devoured the magazines and drooled over some of the projects and completed dolls. I paid particular attention to hair instructions because even my little primitive Komfort Kuties need 'dos ;-)
To make curly locks, tightly wrap lengths of very wet knitting or crewel or needlepoint wool around wooden skewers or craft dowels. Place on a microwave something that has a little lip so the skewer is raised off the surface. Zap one dowel on high for about 90 seconds ... turn the dowel so that the underside is now on top, rotate the plate ... zap for another 90 seconds. Let cool and then carefully unwind the wool.
I tried nuking multiple dowels at the same time, but the middles didn't get cooked well without multiple turnings. The jury is still out as to whether or not I got better curls by stranding the wool before wrapping around the dowel.
The article used knitting needles which I don't have and am too cheap to buy (a package of 12 dowels cost. $0.99 US) and then said to bake the wool in the oven at 250 or maybe 275 for an hour. I don't remember whether it say if the needles had to be rotated or what to place the needles on ... I've got friends scouring their closets for orphaned needles so I can try this. Would appreciate thoughts or tips about what to do with the needles.