The Fibre Garden : Silk
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Of ancient use, silk still comes mainly from China and other nearby countries in southeast Asia. Pure silk can give fantastic results for spinners with the patience to learn the many tricks necessary to succeed. If you’ve not tried it yet, consider first trying out one of the many blends with silk and wool or other fibres. Usually the silk has been cut to a relatively short staple length that will help your hands adjust to how it feels in a blend.
There are two basic types of silk commonly available: Mulberry Silk also goes by the names of Bombyx Silk and Cultivated Silk. This type is raised in captivity and tends to be pearly white in colour. Tussah Silk is sometimes called wild silk. It tends to be more of an ivory-cream colour and in the world of fabric is considered to be an inferior form. It seems to be just fine for spinning and is often the form used in blends. Both kinds of silk are available in combed top or as noils, and all preparations are candidates for the dyepot.
At the moment our stock of pure silk is in natural colours only, but we hope to start providing dyed silk in top, hankies/caps as well as noils in the near future.
Silk
Cultivated Silk Cocoons, Degummed
Silk cocoons come as natural (usually with a dead worm inside), which are sort of firm and egg-shaped, or degummed, which have had the seracin (i.e. silk worm spit/glue) removed. Most common are Bombyx (Cultivated, Mulberry) cocoons, but sometimes other kinds of silk are available as well, though we have yet to locate a source.
Cocoons are adored by makers of Novelty/Art yarn, by felters, and sometimes by spinners.
Degummed Bombyx or Mulberry/Cultivated silk cocoons. These can be used for spinning directly, as a textural component in needle or Nuno felting, in paper making or added for texture to novelty yarns. They dye up just like regular silk top or roving, using either acid or fibre reactive dyes.
PRODUCT of CHINA
Pulled Sari Silk – Aqua
100% Silk fibre
Our current batch is a mix of soft powder blue and brighter sky blue. Fibre staple length is 1 to 1.5 inches.
Use for blending/carding, spinning, felting, paper-making and other crafting projects.
PRODUCT of INDIA
Pulled Sari Silk – Burgundy
100% Silk fibre
Wonderful deep burgundy-wine, the colour of pickled beets. Fibre staple length is 1 to 1.5 inches.
Use for blending/carding, spinning, felting, paper-making and other crafting projects.
PRODUCT of INDIA
Pulled Sari Silk – Cyclamen
100% Silk fibre
Clear medium-soft lavender pink, very much the colour of a Cyclamen flower. Fibre staple length is 1 to 1.5 inches.
Use for blending/carding, spinning, felting, paper-making and other crafting projects.
PRODUCT of INDIA
Pulled Sari Silk – Indian Yellow
100% Silk fibre
Bright golden-yellow, one of the Old World classic dye colours. Fibre staple length is 1 to 1.5 inches.
Use for blending/carding, spinning, felting, paper-making and other crafting projects.
PRODUCT of INDIA
Pulled Sari Silk – Lavender
100% Silk fibre
Fibre staple length is 1 to 1.5 inches.
Use for blending/carding, spinning, felting, paper-making and other crafting projects.
PRODUCT of INDIA
Pulled Sari Silk – Light Grey
100% Silk fibre
Clear medium-soft grey, leaning ever-so-slightly towards blue. Fibre staple length is 1 to 1.5 inches.
Use for blending/carding, spinning, felting, paper-making and other crafting projects.
PRODUCT of INDIA
Pulled Sari Silk – Mauve
100% Silk fibre
Clear medium-soft mauve-purple, some people might call it lavender. Fibre staple length is 1 to 1.5 inches.
Use for blending/carding, spinning, felting, paper-making and other crafting projects.
PRODUCT of INDIA
Pulled Sari Silk – Melon
100% Silk fibre
Clear medium-soft cantaloupe orange, almost the colour of orange sherbet. Fibre staple length is 1 to 1.5 inches.
Use for blending/carding, spinning, felting, paper-making and other crafting projects.
PRODUCT of INDIA
Pulled Sari Silk – Old Gold
100% Silk fibre
Clear medium gold with green-gold leanings. Fibre staple length is 1 to 1.5 inches.
Use for blending/carding, spinning, felting, paper-making and other crafting projects.
PRODUCT of INDIA
Pulled Sari Silk – Orange
100% Silk fibre
Clear rich orange leaning just slightly towards burnt orange. Fibre staple length is 1 to 1.5 inches.
Use for blending/carding, spinning, felting, paper-making and other crafting projects.
PRODUCT of INDIA
Pulled Sari Silk – Paint Box
100% Silk fibre
Fibre staple length is 1 to 1.5 inches.
Use for blending/carding, spinning, felting, paper-making and other crafting projects.
PRODUCT of INDIA
Pulled Sari Silk – Passion
100% Silk fibre
An excellent true bright-red that leans just slightly towards scarlet. Fibre staple length is 1 to 1.5 inches.
Use for blending/carding, spinning, felting, paper-making and other crafting projects.
PRODUCT of INDIA
Pulled Sari Silk – Sunflower
100% Silk fibre
Vibrant, bright chrome yellow. Fibre staple length is 1 to 1.5 inches.
Use for blending/carding, spinning, felting, paper-making and other crafting projects.
PRODUCT of INDIA
Pulled Sari Silk – Turquoise
100% Silk fibre
Bright medium turquoise. Fibre staple length is 1 to 1.5 inches.
Use for blending/carding, spinning, felting, paper-making and other crafting projects.
PRODUCT of INDIA
Pulled Sari Silk – White
100% Silk fibre
Gorgeous clear snowy white, apparently very difficult to get. Fibre staple length is 1 to 1.5 inches.
Use for blending/carding, spinning, felting, paper-making and other crafting projects.
PRODUCT of INDIA
Sari Silk Fibre – Cool Tones
Shredded sari silk fibre, in a myriad of cool colours colours that may include some or all of purple, blue, lime, emerald, other green shades, turquoise, grey, silver and possibly a few threads of red, yellow or other tones. This is shredded from leftover scraps and mill ends of fabric used to make saris. Our new supply is very clean and for the most part free of unshredded bits and debris. Fibres are in a tangle, essentially, but we try to get a good mix in each bag.
What to do with it? We've sometimes cut it into shorter lengths and carded it into spinning/felting batts; the key is to cut the silk to about the same length as the staple of the fibre it's being blended with. On the drum carder we find it behaves best when layed on the intake tray with the wool fibre on top, which helps to keep the silk off of the licker-in drum.
Felters love to use these fibres for embellishment in wet, Nuno and needle felting projects. Apparently it's a very cool add-in for paper makers, particularly those doing silk paper. Should also be grand for silk fusion and a myriad of other crafts, and even fly fishermen love this stuff!
PRODUCT of INDIA
Sari Silk Fibre – Warm Tones
Shredded sari silk fibre, in a myriad of warm colours colours that may include some or all of magenta, yellow, red, orange, copper, plum, gold, wine, pink, orange and possibly a few threads of green, blue or other tones. This is shredded from leftover scraps and mill ends of fabric used to make saris. Our new supply is very clean and for the most part free of unshredded bits and debris. Fibres are in a tangle, essentially, but we try to get a good mix in each bag.
What to do with it? We've sometimes cut it into shorter lengths and carded it into spinning/felting batts; the key is to cut the silk to about the same length as the staple of the fibre it's being blended with. On the drum carder we find it behaves best when layed on the intake tray with the wool fibre on top, which helps to keep the silk off of the licker-in drum.
Felters love to use these fibres for embellishment in wet, Nuno and needle felting projects. Apparently it's a very cool add-in for paper makers, particularly those doing silk paper. Should also be grand for silk fusion and a myriad of other crafts, and even fly fishermen love this stuff!
PRODUCT of INDIA