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Article: Processing Silkworm Cocoons

If you don't want to wait while raising your own silk cocoons, you can buy Peace Silk cocoons from us.

After the moths emerge, gather their cocoons.

Degum

Degum the cocoons by simmering them for about 20 minutes:

for 10 cocoons, use about a tablespoon of dishwashing liquid in a quart of water.
for 100 cocoons, use about 1/2 cup of dishwashing liquid in enough water to cover.
or, you can use 20% by weight of Ivory flakes.

If they are not all soft and opened out, repeat.

Dry

Rinse in a strainer, squeeze between a folded towel, spread out (uncovered) to dry.

Fluff

Pull open the dried cocoons into a soft mass and spin directly, or pull out into a long roving. No cutting or carding is needed. This is the easiest spinning because the long semi-continuous fibres can't slip away. The resulting yarn is soft, lofty, very light weight, and cloud-like.

A small weight of silk goes a long way. Approximately 250 cocoons produce 1 oz finished silk, or 1,000 cocoons for 4 oz.

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