The Fibre Garden : raw silk
Showing all 4 results
raw silk
Silk Hankies, Natural
100% cultivated (aka Bombyx or Mulberry) silk.
Much like silk caps, hankies contain many layers of tissue-thin silk that are stretched out and stacked together into square shapes, but flat rather than dome-shaped. This makes them easier to deal with than caps when hand-painting with dye. You can use either acid or fibre reactive dyes, or even natural dyes.
Spinners take the individual layers apart, poke a hole in the centre and then draft them out as thick or as thin as they need for their particular yarn. Felters find these interesting to use for embellishment on nuno-felted, wet-felted and needle-felted projects.
PRODUCT of CHINA
Silk Top, Muga
100% Muga silk.
This also goes by the name Assam silk, and it's from a worm native to India rather than further east. The colour is a glorious tan to almost caramel-golden-brown with a wonderful sheen. Apparently it is a myth that Muga silk cannot be dyed, though we have never tried to do so. Usually difficult to find, and always expensive.
PRODUCT of INDIA
Silk, Red Eri (Sliver) – 50g
100% Eri Silk.
A less common silk for spinners but widely cultivated in India and also known as Endi, Errandi or Peace Silk. Because the cocoons are not harvested until after the moth emerges, this is considered to be an acceptable fibre by some vegans. Used for all kinds of fabrics for garments as well as bedding, pillows, etc.
This is in beautiful combed top, our current supply is MUCH redder than this photo, a stunning cinnamon red. Eri silk comes in several natural shades.
PRODUCT of INDIA
Silk, Throwster Bleached
100% Mulberry silk
An unusual product, this is degummed silk that's a byproduct of the reeling process. It's like curly soft blobs of silk fibre that can be drafted and spun, but most people probably use it as a textural embellishment for all types of felting. The sheen is wonderful, and it takes dye beautifully in a delightful irregular way. Our supply is AA grade, which is also carded to make Silk Laps.
PRODUCT of INDIA