The unintentional serial dreadlocker needs some advice!
Dreading Methods
You hair will lock up much faster with a 'dread-friendly' shampoo. The residue free aspect is also important, if you have straight hair the residues just wash out...with dreadlocks they dont. Thats why we dread heads we a residue free shampoo. I, and many other members of this site use this... http://shop.dreadlockshampoo.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPat... you can either use the liquid or the bar soaps (you just have to work a little harder to get it to foam up. These are all natural soaps, just like you want. Your progress will also speed up a lot, because all the moisturizing/ conditioning agents, found in normal shampoo, actually prevent your hair from knotting (which is what you want unless you have dreads). They also have a great pink sea salt spray that has worked well for me and and many other members.
As for the separating, its probably going to be difficult, if not painful even, initially, since you havent done it yet. You literally just rip your hair into sections, by grabbing one lock, annd ripping it apart from the other. Some find this easier to do in the shower, others when their hair is dry. Obviously if you want small dreads, your going to have to separate them smaller, and if you want them bigger, separate bigger. Keep in mind the smaller you separate, the more work your going to have separating them. You should do this as much as you need to, to keep them from knotting together.
Other than that, you can just leave your hair alone! It will most likely take around a year for your hair to be looking like mature dreads (maybe sooner considering the speed you say your hair knots). Good Luck! If you can maintain the patience needed to go through this process, you will be very happy with your results.