WormSpit

I finally finished the skein I’m entering in the Contemporary Handweavers of TX juried show.

Dream 20050323, 7:00 AM:

Dream 20050323, 3:40 AM:

I’m not sure what will make the best food-safe-for-bugs dye, but I’m thinking I’ll experiment with some commercial acid dyes – small batches so I’ll know what works for color, and what the worms can stand.

Dyed food makes colored cocoons

Well, the answer is: the synthetic spider silk does take dye.

It takes dye very well, pretty much identically to how the bombyx does. It has a slightly more tan shade, but not as dark as tussah silk.

One of my silk friends in England sent me some spidrex artificial spider silk. She’s been working with it, seeing how it behaves in various textile applications.

Of course, my first instinct was to see how it would degum…