Rooting individual yarn hairs on Waldorf doll? (picture added!)

[henny penny]

Can this be done? Would the hair end up too full for the doll's head? I've read that pulling the yarn through the skin fabric is difficult and seems like it could weaken the whole skin. What if I sewed individual yarn on with needle and thread? I don't like how the hair line of the crochet cap looks. Maybe I should do a smaller crochet cap and sew individual yarn to define the hairline in a more natural looking way. Looking for any tips or advice; I'm new at hair (I've chickened out and sewn caps on all my previous dolls!) This is for my baby girl's first birthday this spring. I'm using single ply handspun-by-a-friend, walnut-shell-dyed-by-me wool yarn so I want to get it right! I'm trying to emulate Ruprecht's handspun long hair on etsy (don't know if I'm allowed to link, but her dolls are lovely). Thank you!!!

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GLZCrlk5P54/TOWYOtmpKHI/AAAAAAAABSQ/vkH83NUBbAk/s1600/Charlottemitpflanzengef%25C3%25A4rbtenHaaren1.jpg

eta: added picture of the look I'd like for my doll

[AdinaL]

Yep, just take thread that matched the yarn and sew it on strand by strand.  Remember that it should be double the length of what you want the final finished length to be. I just did that on the first doll I made - though I have done other things with the same method.

Here she is:  

I did individual strands around her front hairline, and then did the same going down the back part - since I knew I wanted her in pigtails. I could have done more on the back, but it still looks pretty good and her front hairline is perfect. :)

[henny penny]

Yes! That's it! She is adorable. So, you did individual strands for hairline and part; what did you do to fill in the rest?

[AdinaL]

I didn't. There was a ton of hair on her head already once I got done with the hairline, and then once I had sewn in her part line as well, it didn't seem to need it.  I could have used a bit more on the back - probably double the amount I used in her part line, because I can still kind of see her "scalp"

Here's what it looks like from the back:

I think it depends on how thick and and fuzzy your hair is.  The mohair that I used covers a lot of ground, and mistakes. LOL 

[henny penny]

Thank you! You answered all my questions. Since I want long flowing, "style-able" hair I'll probably sew on a small crochet cap for the crown (to save time and eliminate the problem of too much hair)  and then do a full hairline of individual strands. But I've also seen hair done with a base layer of yarn embroidered to cover the scalp (just flat stitches) and then individual strands sewn over that. Hmmm, may do that instead of the crochet cap since I don't crochet! Decisions!

[wjb1108]

What is the technique for sewing on individual hairs? I am also doing a doll using the crochet cap but I don't like the hair line and would like to use this method to make it look more natural.