The Chinese has used silk since
the 27th century B.C.. Silk is
mentioned by Aristotle and
became a valuable commodity both
in Greece and Rome. During the
Roman Empire, silk was sold for
its weight in gold. The Chinese
domesticated silk worms and fed
them with mulberry leaves. They
unwound the silkworms' cocoons
to produce long strands of silk
fiber
Farm women in China at that
period were supposed to raise
such silkworms as one of their
chores. Silk was used in China
and exported along the Silk Road
(the ancient trade route linking
China and the Roman Empire).
This trade brought China great
wealth, but the Chinese did not
give away the secret on how silk
was formed.
Christian monks finally broke
China's monopoly of the silk
production by smuggling silkworm
eggs out of the country, and
soon other countries started to
produce their own silk.
Production of silk :
Silkworms are cultivated and fed
with mulberry leaves. Some of
these eggs are hatched by
artificial means such as an
incubator, and in the olden
times, the people carried it
close to their bodies so that it
would remain warm.
Silkworms that feed on smaller,
domestic tree leaves produce the
finer silk, while the coarser
silk is produced by silkworms
that have fed on oak
leaves.
From the
time they hatch to the time they
start to spin cocoons, they are
very carefully tended to. Noise
is believed to affect the
process, thus the cultivators
try not to startle the silkworms
Their cocoons are spun from the
tops of loose straw. It will be
completed in two to three days'
time. The cultivators then
gather the cocoons and the
chrysales are killed by heating
and drying the cocoons.
Care of your silk :
It
is best to dry clean your silk
garment either by individual or
bulk method, in order to
maintain the characteristic of
the silk
Dry clean :
Sending it to the dry cleaners
may be done but make sure that
you inform the dry cleaner that
your garment is made of silk.
Hand wash :
1) Make sure you
wash in cool water.
2) Use a small amount of soap or
mild detergent to wash the silk.
3) After washing it, rinse in
cold water.
4) Hang it or lay it flat in a
shaded area to dry.
5) If pressing is needed, use an
all cotton iron board cover, a
low or moderate steam setting,
and press on the wrong side of
the fabric while ironing.
Other Tips :
To keep
white silk white, add peroxide
and ammonia to the wash.
Do not
use bleach or any washing
detergent with bleach
To
remove yellow from white silk,
add a few teaspoons of white
vinegar to the wash..
Properties of the silk :
1)It is versatile and very
comfortable.
2)It absorbs moisture.
3)It is cool to wear in the
summer yet warm to wear in
winter.
4)It can be easily dyed.
5)It retains its shape and is
relatively smooth.
6)It has a poor resistance to
sunlight exposure.
7)It is the strongest natural
fiber and is lustrous.
Uses :
Silk is used to make blouses,
dresses, scarves, pants and
ties. It can also be made into
curtains, draperies, cushion
covers and sofa covers.
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