What Is Thai Silk?
Silk is the natural filament produced by the salivary glands of silkworms which are a type of moth that feeds on the mulberry bush. Silkworms are caterpillars, not worms. They spin their cocoons using a complex set of mechanisms within their bodies when they change from larva in to pupa. Thai silk is produced by Thai caterpillars raised on Thai mulberry leaves by Thai weavers in Thailand, primarily on the Korat Plateau in the country’s northeast region. Chaiyaphum is just north of Korat province.
Raw silk is bumpy and irregular. The completed cocoon is pulled from the mulberry bush and placed in a vat of boiling water, which separates the silk thread of the cocoon from the caterpillar inside.
The silk from Thailand’s caterpillars varies in color from light gold to very light green. A cocoon is comprised of one thread that is 500-1,500 meters long. A single filament is too thin to use alone so many are combined to make a thicker, more practical yarn.
Our weavers wash these raw silk threads, bleach them, then soak them in vats of hot dyes. Afterwards, they wash the silk thread again, stretch it, and put it through a final dying process. When that is finished, they wind the threads onto spools or drums in preparation for weaving using traditional hand operated looms.
What is smooth Thai silk?
Smooth Thai silk has a shiny, satin-like finish. It’s suitable for all purposes, particularly clothing and interior decorating. The “standard” width is about 37 inches/94 centimeters and it’s available in 2-ply and sometimes 4-ply. All colors and designs are available. For orders of bolts 30 yards or more widths of 40 inches and 48 inches are also available.
What is rough Thai silk?
Rough Thai silk is beautiful but relatively coarse and thicker than smooth silk. We say relative because it is still very soft.< It's very suitable for curtains and furniture coverings and similar interior design applications but it also makes fantastic casual clothing! It's only slightly more expensive. The “standard” width is about 37 inches/94 centimeters and it's available in 2-ply to 4-ply. Single-ply rough Thai silk is extremely appropriate for scarves. All colors and designs are available. It's also sometimes called “nubby” Thai silk.
Thai silk yarn is usually soft but has a relatively coarse texture with uneven, slightly knotty threads. This quality makes it extremely suitable for weaving by hand. Thai silk has a magnificent, rich, exotic beauty and, with proper care, can last a century or more.
Chinese silk tends to be smooth and satiny. Indian silk tends to be softer but more crinkly and uses richer colors. Italian silk tends to strive for a refined and elegant look but this can easily be accomplished anywhere using mechanized weaving.
What is the difference between white and yellow silk worm cocoons?
White cocoons are smooth, white and about 60-100 meters long. A yellow cocoon is short, rough, yellow and about 20-30 meters long. However, every cocoon of both types also has three parts which vary in quality and character. The silk threads of the outer part are large, short and more textured filaments. In the next part of the cocoon, the filaments are smoother and longer than the first type but not as fine as the third type which is best. However, the large, textured filaments require much more silk to weave the same length of cloth, increasing the price.