Tussah Silk

Scarves - Wraps

Honey-colored wildcrafted Tussah silk from India is hand-gathered and handspun from vacated cocoons.  The transformed moth emerges unharmed - unlike conventional silk where the mothworms are boiled in their cocoons to allow continuous, unbroken reeling of silk fiber.  “Peace Silk” or “Vegetarian Silk” allows the silkworm to live out its full life cycle.  The yarn is handspun by the unique method of degumming and softening the cocoons with a soap, then pulling out fiber directly into a yarn.  The resulting yarn is extremely strong and resilient, having a distinctive look and feel - soft, irregular, and textured with traces of sparkle.  This is the best silk for warmth and therapeutic use. 

Natural color is light silvery brown with various areas of light and dark shading, reflective of the amount of tannin in the oak leaves which provide the silkworms’ diet.  Margaret’s source for Tussah silk also offers a vast selection of naturally hand-dyed colors in “small production dyelots” using “ancient recipes and techniques”.  Tussah silk is rare with limited availability.

© 2008 Antrim Handweaving – all rights reserved