Produced by insects as a material for their cocoons and nests, silk is the strongest natural fiber known to man. For centuries, silk has been regarded as one of the most luxurious fabrics thanks to its shine, luster, and durability. Its soft feel, high cost of production, and elegant appearance make silk a popular textile in couture and high-end fashion design.
But how is this luxurious fabric manufactured? Despite technological improvements, silk production remains a long and labor-intensive process.
How Is Silk Produced?
Below is a simple guide to the intriguing process of producing silk from the silkworm.
Sericulture is the process of gathering silkworms and harvesting their cocoons. Typically, female silk moths lay about 350 - 500 eggs at a time. These eggs are collected and incubated until they hatch into caterpillars.
These caterpillars (silkworms) are then placed on a diet of mulberry leaves for 6 weeks till they grow to about 3 inches. At this stage, they stop feeding and start to raise their heads. An indication that they are ready to spin their cocoon.
For about 3 to 8 days, each silkworm will continuously spin its cocoon, reaching about 100 meters long and glued together by a natural gum called sericin. Generally, it takes about 2,500 silkworms to produce a pound of raw silk.
2. Extracting The Silk Thread
After spinning the cocoon, the silkworms enclose themselves in it for shelter. To extract the silk thread, the cocoon is placed in hot water to dissolve and soften the sericin. This process is crucial as it ensures the thread is not damaged and is continuous.
Each cocoon is then carefully unwound into a long continuous thread and then wound on a reel. In some cases, sericin is still present on the long thread, but it is washed with soap and hot water.
3. Dyeing
After the silk thread has been washed and free of gum, it is bleached and dried before dyeing. The traditional silk dyeing technique is often used to dye the silk thread.
It involves the use of indigo leaves or fruits boiled in hot water. The process is repeated for several days to guarantee proper quality and color tone.
4. Spinning
The spinning wheel is used in this process and has been a vital component of the silk production process for many years.
Spinning basically unwinds the dyed fiber so it can lay flat and stay dry for the weaving process. Spinning can be done via mule spinning, ring spinning, or hand spinning.
5. Weaving
In general, weaving involves tying together two sets of threads to lock around one another and produce a sturdy, even piece of cloth. The two distinct angles from which the threads will be weaved are known as the warp and the weft. The weft will flow across the fabric as the warp goes up and down.
6. Printing
A silk piece must be imprinted after pre-treatment if it needs a unique pattern or design. There are two methods of doing this: digital printing and screen printing.
The glossy sheen that silk is famous for and the ability to obtain the right look and feel result from proper finishing.
Silk finishing may be done in various methods. However, it is mostly by adding multiple chemical treatments that can provide desirable features such as the right feel, softness, crease-proofing, and fire resistance.
Final Thought
There you have it! How waving lustrous silk fabrics are made from the silkworm. Overall, producing silk fabrics involves raising silkworms, collecting their cocoons, and turning the silk fibers into thread, which is then woven or knitted into fabric. If you can get the production process right, silk fabrics can be a good source of profit for a brand, as they are often in high demand and can command premium prices.
OrderSpark
