Silk Interlude

Internet has been inexplicably slow the last few days. Apologies. Silk workshop pics below. Consult internet for details that were lost in translation. Some silk cloth is very soft, and light, orthers coarser. It has to do with the number of filatments used to form a thread, and the amount of processing after. I was told they often starch the thread to make it easier to spin and weave, and wash it out after.

The eggs develop into the silkworm lava, grub or caterpillar. They eat for 20-30 days, consuming large amounts of mulberry leaves The caterpillar moults through four changes of skin

The silkworm spins a cocoon for protection, to permit the development of the pupa or chrysalis. The cocoon takes about three days to be fully complete and is a similar size to a peanut shell. The chrysalis emerges from the cocoon as a moth. In cultivated silk, the grub is terminated while still inside the cocoon so that the long filaments are maintained. The colour of the silk is determined by the diet of the lava and seasonal influences. Mulberry leaves produce the preferred lighter coloured cocoons, but in the wild silk worms will eat other plants, producing all variety of colours, as shown.

The moths mate and the female lays more than 350 eggs. The moths then die In the wild this cycle occurs once a year, but under scientific breeding it can occur up to three times in a year.

The silkworm spins a cocoon for protection, to permit the development of the pupa or chrysalis. The cocoon takes about three days to be fully complete and is a similar size to a peanut shell.

The chrysalis emerges from the cocoon as a moth. In cultivated silk, the grub is terminated while still inside the cocoon so that the long filaments are maintained.

The colour of the silk is determined by the diet of the lava and seasonal influences. Mulberry leaves produce the preferred lighter coloured cocoons, but in the wild silk worms will eat other plants, producing all variety of colours, as shown.

The moths mate and the female lays more than 350 eggs. The moths then die

In the wild this cycle occurs once a year, but under scientific breeding it can occur up to three times in a year.

Mulberry bush

The silkworm spins a cocoon for protection, to permit the development of the pupa or chrysalis. The cocoon takes about three days to be fully complete and is a similar size to a peanut shell.

The chrysalis emerges from the cocoon as a moth. In cultivated silk, the grub is terminated while still inside the cocoon so that the long filaments are maintained.

The colour of the silk is determined by the diet of the lava and seasonal influences. Mulberry leaves produce the preferred lighter coloured cocoons, but in the wild silk worms will eat other plants, producing all variety of colours, as shown.

The moths mate and the female lays more than 350 eggs. The moths then die

In the wild this cycle occurs once a year, but under scientific breeding it can occur up to three times in a year.

The cocoon is harvested before the chrysalis emerges, so as to have a continuous thread to unravel. These were probably used for propogation, and not silk thread.

Boiling the silk worm cocoon to kill the chrysalis and loosen the thread for removal. 300-900 meters of thread comes from each cocoon

Raw Silk

Dyed silk

Barks, seeds and other plant material used for dyes

Spinning from cocoon 

Separating threads for pattern dying