How Silkworms Make Silk

It's hard to believe that silkworms produce one of the most desirable and expensive threads in the world. Many products are made from silk; blouses, jackets, suits, dresses, bridal gowns, draperies and curtains. Did you know that Silkworms are actually the offspring of moths? They emit thread from small holes in their jaws which they use to spin into their egg-bearing cocoons.This entire production takes a meager 72 hours, during which time they produce between 500-1200 silken threads. Each spring these silkworms will lay at least 500 eggs or more. Not a bad way to boost production.

Silkworm farming was first adopted by the ancient Chinese. Although they planned to keep this discovery a secret by threatening the death penalty on anybody who tried to smuggle the worms or its eggs out of the country, the plan failed. Japan, China, India, France and Spain all farm these unique creatures.

Through a tedious, labor-intensive, time-consuming process, farm workers painstakingly place the 500 plus eggs upon strips of paper or cloth, until the following spring. When the incubated eggs hatch, and the tiny, black worms emerge, workers transport the worms to trays brimming with the worm's favorite food of finely chopped, white mulberry leaves. After 6 weeks they start to feel full and begin rocking their head back and forth communicating that they are ready to start making a cocoon. Once the silkworm completes its cocoon, the farmer snatches his cocoon from him, to prevent the shrunken chrysalis from hatching into a moth in 12 days. Now, the silkworm's labor of love is prepared for the silk production process.

The empty cocoons are bathed in warm troughs of water which releases the gum that binds the silken threads together. Then you are left with the grueling task of unraveling several cocoons, and winding the fine fibers onto a reel that twists 10-12 strands together into a "single" thread of silk. The end product is a skein of raw silk which is usually dyed and sold.

photo source: Plumridge & Co