My name is Michael Cook. I’ve been working with all kinds of creative arts and crafts since I was a little kid – my grandmothers and my mom taught me to embroider, to sew, to crochet, and to draw, and I took that creative thread and ran with it. While I was in college, I learned to spin, to weave, taught myself to knit, and in general continued exploring all kinds of creative expression through a variety of media: fibers, drawing, painting, sculpting.
My obsession with silk began when a friend (hi, Rose!) said that my work was too good for polyester-cotton sewing thread, and gave me some fine silk thread to weave with, and then a friend’s daughter’s teacher told me about raising silkworms in her class. Then, in 2001, I found a website offering silkworm eggs, and I raised my first batch. Ever since, I’ve had silkworms, and I’ve learned many ways to use their cocoons to make thread and yarn. I travel and teach people how to make yarn and weave, and I write and talk about my unusual interests.
I live in the south Dallas neighborhood of Oak Cliff with my husband Chris, two dogs, three cats, a small flock of laying hens, and hundreds of tiny wiggling livestock.