Silk Maker

We also saw a woman making silk. In the water are many catepillar coccoons, each made up of one long silk thread spun by the (presumably dead by now) catepillar inside. The threads from the coccoons are pulled up around the spindle and out the top of the wooden frame over the pot by the woman into a basket behind her. As she pulls the silk thread out of the pot and into the basket she stirs the pot to help the cocoons unwind. We'd never seen silk made before, and were fascinated by the process.

Last revised 2/26/2003 in Auckland, NZ!
URL http://www.flyian.net/family/oworld/silk.htm