Silk Work Techniques

Some of the techniques and equipment used to make yarn out of silk:

this is how I got started - basic equipment, simple technique
this is how I reel silk now; it has been improved by a couple of years of work and research!
this style of reeling uses very simple equipment and a single kettle.
hankies, or mawatas, are spread-out cocoons used for spinning.
the process of making a yarn from the cocoons of this North American wild silkmoth.
how to remove the sericin, or silk gum, from raw silk.
the process for acid-dyeing silk yarns.
the silk glands can be removed and stretched to make a special kind of line which is used for fly fishing and surgical sutures. Note: this page has a partial dissection.
this innovative technology helped to build the Japanese cottage industry for silk during the late Edo period.
these are some of the reeled silks I've made

 

 

 

Click on the play button to watch the video.

This is from an HGTV segment I did which aired January 2007.

The segment shows silkworms, reeling, and tablet weaving.

 

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