SILK

ORIGIN

• Natural animal protein fiber
• Produced from filaments of silkworms
• Some filaments reach up to 900 meters long

YARN STRUCTURE

• Round
• Rod-like structure
• Smooth surface
• High luster

PRODUCTION

• Silkworms are fed mulberry leaves
• They grow to cocoon stage
• Boiled, steamed, or hot air treated to loosen the filaments
• Cleaning to remove sericin

COMMON USES

• Used for apparel
• Interior fabrics
• Linings in bicycle tires
• Some disposable dishes

HISTORY

• Discovered by Lady Hsi-Ling Shih
• Kept Chinese secret for nearly 30 centuries
• Revealing secrets of production was punishable by death
• Eventually spread globally with the help of the Silk Road

HISTORY

• Silk became currency in China
• Values in lengths of silk were comparable to gold
• Secrets kept in China for nearly 30 years

ADVANTAGES

• Lightweight
• Comfortable
• Retains shape and not easily wrinkled
• High luster
• Dries quickly

DISADVANTAGES

• Expensive
• Wears over time
• Hard to remove stains
• Requires special care and cleaning

Untitled Slide

• China is number one producer of silk
• Japan, India, Brazil are among other top world producers
• China produces 2/3 of silk production

CARE OF SILK

• Dry cleaning recommended
• Hand washing
• Cool water
• Do not wring dry

WORKS CITED

• texeresilk.com/article/history_of_silk
• texeresilk.com>About Silk
• silk-road.com/artl/silkhistory.shtm