How to make silk thread. Successful farm: silk production. History of silk production

I recently bought silk scarves for my collection, made by Uzbek craftsmen using the ancient ICAT technique. The technique is incredibly labor-intensive, because it is manual... everything is done by hand, starting from cutting mulberry branches to feed the silkworm caterpillars...

The photo of watermelons is not related to silkworms, but it is relevant to the further discussion. All photos have captions if something is not clear.

Woman selling watermelons at the bazaar in Andijan, Uzbekistan

But at the beginning of the conversation I will show you my purchases. It’s not that I’m bragging... now such things are available for purchase via the Internet and cost quite reasonable money, considering the labor-intensive processes - so almost for nothing, I think. Rather, I admire these products and it’s a pleasure to simply own them. I am glad that I have them, like small grains of the world of my childhood, particles of my Motherland... I wrote earlier that I was born in Central Asia and from birth I saw this colorful world. We went to the market, and there they sold fabrics, and there were mountains of watermelons and melons, spices, ripe tomatoes, and apples and cherries grew on the trees just like that... Strange world…

So, shopping. Two scarves, blue-yellow and red-green. , length about 170 cm, width 49 cm. Scarves are so narrow because they are woven by hand on narrow looms. In Uzbekistan, it is customary that all ikat (fabric made using the ICAT technique, also called “Uzbek pattern”, pictured below) are woven narrow, because this width is convenient for handwork.

These scarves are made from 100% natural silk. This can be checked in this way: set fire to a small piece of material, it is enough to set fire to even 1 thread, which is what I did.

Natural silk, when burned, quickly forms a black lump, and this lump smells like burnt horn or feather (which is chemically the same thing, keratin), which easily rubs in your hands (see photo) into dust.

The unnatural material will melt and there will be a lump at the end of the burnt thread…. how to put it more precisely... like lava, such a clot... and it does not rub into dust with your fingers. Viscose, when burned, smells like burnt paper (paper, in fact, it is, since it is made from cellulose), and polyester, which is generally synthetic, will melt and burn without a residue.

Two scarves, blue-yellow and red-green... the threads are dyed with natural dyes, but I will talk about the ikat production technology in the next article, and now a little about silk production in general.

Silk is chemically a protein (protein), so they are called: “silk proteins” and are a long-long chain polymer, more precisely, a “bundle” of these polymers. This polymer (which is silk) is produced internally (like a microfactory!) and released from itself by the silkworm caterpillar at a certain age. These silkworms were domesticated in China 5,000 years ago, but what does "domesticated" mean? In this case, this means that they are selected to receive more quality product, mate with the right person (although females can lay eggs without mating) to increase the size of the cocoon and the thickness and length of the thread in it, the growth rate and efficiency of its (cocoon) digestion, and their (the caterpillars’) resistance to disease. In the same way, tolerance for human presence and living “on top of each other” was changed (see photo below, this does not happen in nature). All these modifications have made the domestic silkworm completely dependent on humans... for its survival

The silkworm, like the Drosophila fly, reproduces and grows quickly, so it is easy to track various gene modifications on it. I read the following phrase: “The silkworm is one of the most genetically exploited animals.” Over the 5000 years of domesticated existence, the silk productivity of silkworm varieties has increased almost tenfold relative to its wild ancestors (only corn is ahead of the silkworm in this parameter...). Scientists are also trying to genetically influence the duration of various stages of life of silkworm larvae and caterpillars, and health, productivity, quality of silk, resistance to various pathogens... a lot of different things depend on them, in turn.

I will briefly describe the process of obtaining silk.

In the summer, silkworm butterflies (after mating with a male silkworm) lay eggs: these eggs are called "grena". This grain is placed in the refrigerator until spring, that is, until the new season. The next spring, with a gradual artificial increase in temperature from 18 to 25 degrees and a certain humidity, the grena awakens, it is checked for the presence of diseased and defective (I don’t know how they do this, apparently from the color of the masonry... something came to mind), then from grenas hatch into 2 mm worms (silkworm larvae). These worms eat crushed mulberry leaves day and night, devour them and grow, devour and grow (and within a month increase in size up to 3-4 cm)... This time of growth and weight gain is quite difficult for the maintenance staff of the greenage factory (so are called factories where silkworm caterpillars are raised from their eggs. Such a factory was in the city of Osh, where I was born): the caterpillars are in large trays with mulberry leaves and are very sensitive to sounds, smells, changes in temperature, humidity, pressure (these caterpillars are not simple, but domesticated already in ancient times and varietal, highly productive, not the same as in simple nature. Well, like a wild orange and a cultivated one... I wrote about this above).

If you don’t follow the rules, the caterpillar will simply die and all your work will be in vain...

Silkworm caterpillars molt 4 times during growth (they also grow and their skin becomes small for them), while their appetite grows almost exponentially.. The color and appearance of the caterpillars changes greatly from molt to molt, in the bottom photo these are white caterpillars with a horn, judging by the description, are in the 5th instar stage (shortly before pupation).

There are so many caterpillars and they eat the leaves so loudly that you can hear it... And then the time comes for metamorphosis into a pupa... the skin of the caterpillars becomes stronger and yellower and silkworm breeders transfer these caterpillars to special branches or nets (like the one in the photo), to which the caterpillars attach and begin to form a silk cocoon.

To form a cocoon, the caterpillars begin to secrete a certain substance from special glands that hardens in air. This substance is a mixture of the protein fibroin and sericin (and some other little things), it’s called “raw silk”, it is thread-like and the caterpillar wraps it around itself, forming a cocoon around itself. First, the caterpillar forms an outer fluff (see in the photo, it’s shaggy), and then inside this fluff wraps the main mass of silk thread around itself.

These cocoons are urgently collected and transported to silk-spinning factories in order to catch the moment of metamorphosis of the pupa into a butterfly... the fact is that when the pupa in the cocoon turns into a butterfly (the butterfly does not have a mouthpart), it secretes a proteolytic enzyme (an enzyme that destroys the silk shell of the cocoon , called protease) to get out and fly away to mate. But the cocoon is a CONTINUOUS long thread of silk (from 300 to 900 meters), which the butterfly has wound around itself, and if you pierce the cocoon, you will not get a continuous thread, but short stubs... These stubs are also used, but it will not be high-quality silk thread, it will be a completely different product...

So, the cocoons are taken to a silk spinning factory to extract silk from them. Now, instead of a large factory, there are small handicraft workshops, but this has not changed the essence of the process, and the quality of the products remains excellent.

First, the cocoons are sorted by size and color. Then, in order to kill the under-butterfly inside the cocoon, these cocoons are steamed in hot water (boiled, in short). The cocoons swell, part of the silk protein mixture from which the caterpillar made the cocoon dissolves in water (this is the substance I wrote about it above; the caterpillar does not secrete pure silk proteins, but a mixture of different proteins; some of them are actually silk proteins (fibroin) , and others are like glue for gluing silk threads together to form a cocoon (sericin + resins and something else), the cocoon itself feels dense to the touch, like thin felt...). So this kind of glue dissolves in water, releasing the silk threads. Now we need to unwind the cocoons, but it’s not easy.

In large silk-spinning factories, the process of unwinding cocoons is mechanized, but in small farms it is done manually... I won’t say exactly how, but they grab the threads (look at the photo) and begin to pull them, essentially unwinding the cocoons... What follows is the subtleties of the process: a thread of raw silk is formed from 3-10 threads from cocoons, if one of the threads breaks or ends, then a new thread is attached, simply glued: the remains of adhesive sericin are what connect all the tiny threads together. But I’d better say that boiled silkworm pupae (from cocoons) are often used for food. The photo shows cocoons and their contents, that is, silkworm pupae

In South Korea, for example, they are a delicacy (I myself saw how they are sold on the streets and eaten, brrrrr.. this popular snack is called 번데기 or Beondegi, in my opinion they have such a characteristic and disgusting smell...)

Raw silk (which is pulled from the cocoons) is wound into skeins. In the left corner of the photo you can see a skein (a bunch hanging on a stick) of silk, and the thread is wound on a “drum”.

And below in the photo a woman is spinning a silk thread (that is, twisting it)

Just curious: the life cycle of the silkworm

In writing the article, I used information from my memory, and took some things from the articles of the master Ksenia Semencha and here http://www.suekayton.com/silk.htm, and bought scarves from Anastasia Bulavka. Part of the photo from the site http://www.projectbly.com/, part of https://www.flickr.com/photos/adam_jones/

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The first silk fabrics were very rare and expensive, so they were worn only by rulers and their family members. In all likelihood, inside the palace they dressed in white clothes, and on ceremonial occasions - in. With the expansion of production, silk gradually became available to the court and then to wider sections of the population.

Gradually, a real cult of silk arose in China. Old Chinese texts mention sacrifices to the Silkworm God, as well as sacred mulberry groves and the veneration of individual mulberry trees.

Already in the era of the Warring States (475-221 BC), silk and silk products spread everywhere in China to almost all segments of the population. Mencius (372-289 BC), “The Second Perfectly Wise One,” proposed planting mulberry trees along the perimeter of “well fields” so that young and old would wear silk clothes.

Silk was widely used in the economy. In addition to being used as a fabric for clothing and embroidery, it was used to make strings for musical instruments, bow strings, made fishing lines fishing and even paper. During the reign of the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), silk became a kind of universal monetary equivalent: peasants paid taxes in grain and silk, and the state also paid officials in silk.

The value of silk was calculated based on its length and was equal to gold. Silk became, in fact, a currency used in settlements with other countries. The important role of silk in Chinese culture is evidenced by the fact that out of the 5 thousand most commonly used, about 230 have the key “silk”.

Technologies of sericulture, embroidery, and fabric dyeing were rapidly improved. This continued until the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

The volume and quality of silk products gradually increased. The brightness of the colors, the richness and perfection of the embroidery were amazing. From the 2nd century BC. foreign trade was established - the famous Silk Road. A key role in this process was played by Zhang Qian 张骞 (?-114 BC), a Chinese diplomat and traveler who opened the countries of Central Asia to China and Chinese trade. Along caravan routes, some of which existed before, caravans loaded with Chinese goods set off for the West.

However, a number of historical and archaeological facts indicate that other countries learned about Chinese silk much earlier. Thus, in one of the Egyptian villages near Thebes and in the Valley of the Kings, female mummies were discovered wrapped in silk fabrics dating back to the 11th century. BC. This is probably the earliest discovery.

After the reign of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), special weaving workshops were founded, initially producing ceremonial headdresses, and later multi-colored silk fabrics. Fabrics were dyed with plant dyes: flowers, leaves, bark, and plant roots. The main weaving centers were located in the modern provinces of Henan, Hebei, Shandong and Sichuan. The Tang era was a time of intense silk trade; it was found in the territory of modern Xinjiang, Turfan, Tajikistan and even in the North Caucasus.

The Greeks and Romans called China the “Land of Silk” - Serika. Silk was extremely popular among the nobility. It was extremely expensive, but nevertheless, people willingly bought it. The price could reach up to 300 denarii - the salary of a Roman legionnaire for a whole year! The import of silk had already begun to threaten the very economy of the Roman Empire. In 380, the Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus (c. 330-after 395) wrote that "the use of silk, which was once limited only to the nobles, has now spread to all classes without distinction, even to the lowest".

The barbarians were also captivated by this amazing material. The Goth Alaric, who captured Rome in 409, demanded, among other things, 4,000 silk tunics.

However, the secret of making silk for a long time remained unsolved. Many fantastic explanations have been proposed. Thus, Virgil (1st century BC), for example, believed that silk was made from fleece from leaves. The Greek historian Dionysius (1st century BC) believed that silk was made from flowers. It was suggested that shiny silk threads grew on trees, or that it was created by huge beetles, or that it was made from the down of birds. Roman historian of the 4th century. Ammianus Marcellinus provided this explanation: “Silk fabrics are made from soil. Chinese soil is soft as wool. After watering and special processing, it can be used to form silk threads.".

The Chinese zealously guarded the secret of silk production. Anyone who tried to transfer silkworm eggs, larvae, or cocoons abroad was executed. However, in Korea, and then in Japan, they learned the secret of silk production. It is believed that to Korea around the 2nd century. BC. it was brought by the Chinese themselves, who emigrated there. Silk appeared on the Japanese Islands in the 3rd AD. Then, in the 4th century, silk production was established in India.

There are several legends telling how silk manufacturing technology became known in other countries. One of them agrees that the Chinese princess was engaged to the prince of Khotan. Her groom wanted his bride to bring with her mulberry seeds and silkworm larvae. According to another version, the princess herself wanted to bring them to her new homeland. She hid the seeds and larvae in her bouffant hairstyle and took them outside of China. This happened around 440. And from there the secret of silk production spread throughout the world.

According to another half-legend, half-history, the secret was revealed by two Nestorian monks. Around 550, they secretly brought silkworm eggs and mulberry seeds in their hollow bamboo staves to the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I (483-565).

Thus, Byzantium became the first country entering the Western world where its own sericulture appeared. The church and the state created their own silk workshops, monopolizing production and zealously guarding the secret of its production. In the 6th century, the Persians mastered the art of silk weaving and created their own masterpieces.

Catholic prelates wore rich silk robes and decorated altars with them. Gradually, the fashion for silk spread among the nobility. In the 8th-9th centuries, silk began to be produced in Spain, and four centuries later, silk was successfully produced by the cities of the Apennine Peninsula, several cities of which gave their names to the fabrics. It is believed that Italian silk originates from two thousand skilled craftswomen exported to Italy from Constantinople in the 13th century.

Today silk is produced in many countries of the world: China, Italy, India, Spain, France. But China is still the largest exporter of raw silk and silk products on the world market.

Silk production technology

For centuries, silk remained a luxury product for most countries of the world, for which people paid their last money. Silk production is a very long and painstaking process that requires constant attention. Currently, a number of procedures are automated.

Over the centuries, sericulture has developed and improved, becoming exact science. But even now the technology for producing silk is based on old methods.

Silk is obtained from the cocoons of silk moths. There are many varieties of wild silk moth. But only one of them became the ancestor of the famous Bombyx mori - a blind, wingless moth, from which the best silk is obtained. It is believed that it originated from Bombyx mandarina mori- a wild silk moth that lives on white mulberry trees only in China. Through selective breeding, she has lost her ability to fly and can only eat, mate, produce offspring, and produce silk fibers.

In addition, there is another type of moth in nature - Antheraea mylitta, also producing silk fiber, but coarser. The threads obtained from it are called tussah.

Female Bombyx mori, hatching from the cocoon, mates with the male. After this, within 4-6 days she lays up to 500 or more eggs, and soon after that she dies. Only healthy eggs are selected for further use. They are sorted and tested for infection. Sick eggs are burned. Silkworm eggs are very small and light - the weight of a hundred barely reaches 1 gram. They are kept at a temperature of about 18 degrees Celsius, gradually increasing it to 25 degrees Celsius.

Around the seventh day, small worms hatch, the size of which does not exceed 2 mm. Exactly this larval stage moths and are actually called silkworms. Then, throughout the month, the silkworms constantly eat, increasing their weight and size. So, at the age of 4-5 weeks their length reaches 3 cm or more, and during this time their weight increases thousands of times!

They feed exclusively on mulberry leaves, which are collected and selected for them by hand, and then crushed. Feeding occurs regularly, day and night. During this time, thousands of feeding worms are kept in special trays that are placed one on top of the other.

In the room where the worms are kept, a constant temperature regime and humidity. They must be protected from any fluctuations in the external environment, such as: loud sounds, drafts, strong odors of food and even sweat. The thousands of jaws crushing the mulberry leaves produce a constant hum, reminiscent of the sound of heavy rain drumming on a roof. During this time, the worms molt several times, gradually changing their color from gray to pale pink.

Finally, the time comes to spin a cocoon. The silkworm begins to worry, shaking its head back and forth. The caterpillars are placed in separate compartments. With the help of two special glands - spinnerets - the worms begin to produce a gelatinous substance that hardens upon contact with air. The substance that silkworms produce includes two main components. The first is fibroin, an insoluble protein fiber that accounts for 75-90% of production. The second is sericin, an adhesive substance designed to hold the cocoon fibers together. In addition to them, there are also fats, salts, and wax.

In three to four days, silkworms spin a cocoon around themselves, placing themselves inside it. They look like white fluffy elongated balls. At this time, the cocoons are sorted by color, size, shape, etc.

Then another 8-9 days pass, and the cocoons are ready to unwind. If you miss time, the pupa will turn into a moth and break through the cocoon, damaging the integrity of the thread. Therefore, the pupa must first be killed. To do this, it is subjected to heat, after which the cocoon is lowered into hot water to dissolve the sticky substance sericin that holds the threads together. At this moment, only a small part of it is removed, about 1%, but this is enough to allow the thread to be unwound.

After this, they find the end of the thread, pass it through the porcelain eye and carefully begin to unwind it, winding it onto the bobbin. Each cocoon produces a thread, on average, from 600 to 900 meters in length, and individual individuals - up to 1000 meters or more!

Then 5-8 threads are twisted together to make one thread. When one of the threads ends, a new one is twisted to it, and thus a very long thread is formed. Sericin promotes the adhesion of one thread to another. The resulting product is raw silk, wound into skeins of yarn. Currently this process is automated.

Skeins of raw silk yarn are sorted by color, size and other characteristics. Then the silk threads are twisted again to achieve a uniform structure and density. At this stage, you can also twist different yarns to create different fabric textures. Next, the threads are passed through special rollers. After this, the yarn goes to the weaving factory.

Here the yarn is soaked again in warm soapy water. Refining occurs, as a result of which the weight of the yarn is reduced by approximately 25%. The yarn then turns a creamy white color and can then be dyed and further processed. Only after this can you start making fabric.

Silk fibers that were not used for spinning threads, for example, from destroyed cocoons, torn ends, etc., can also be twisted into threads, like those obtained from cotton or flax. This silk is of lower quality and tends to be weak and frayed. It can be used, for example, to make a silk blanket.

Interesting statistics: silk for a men's tie requires, on average, 111 cocoons, and silk for sewing women's blouse - 630!

Despite the fact that many artificial fibers have now appeared - polyester, nylon, etc., none of them can compare in quality with real silk. Silk fabrics keep you warm in cool weather and cool in hot weather; they are pleasant to the touch and pleasing to the eye. In addition, silk thread is stronger than steel thread of the same diameter!

In conclusion, a short poem about the difficulties of breeding silkworms:

养蚕词
Yăng can cí
Songs about feeding silkworms

作者：缪嗣寅
Zuòzhě: Miào Sìyín

蚕初生，
Can chū shēng
[When] the silkworm is born,

采桑陌上提筐行；
Cǎi sāng mò shàng tí kuāng xíng
I collect mulberry leaves and walk along the boundary with a basket;

蚕欲老，
Cán yù lǎo
[When] the silkworm caterpillar is about to mature,

夜半不眠常起早。
Yèbàn bù mián cháng qǐ zǎo
I don’t sleep late at night and often get up early in the morning.

衣不暇浣发不簪，
Yī bù xiá huàn fà bù zān
I don’t have time to wash my clothes and I don’t style my hair,

还恐天阴坏我蚕。
Hái kǒng tiān yīn huài wǒ cán
I'm also afraid that rainy weather will ruin my silkworms.

回头吩咐小儿女，
Huítóu fēnfù xiǎo nǚ’er
Looking around, I teach my little daughter,

蚕欲上山莫言语。
Cán yù shàng shān mò yányŭ
[When] the silkworm caterpillars are about to rise up [to secrete silk], don't you dare talk!

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When and where did the discovery of silk take place? Researchers unanimously say - in China. It was here that fragments of silk were found in burials. In China, they mastered the art of silk ornamentation, producing extraordinary fabric with colored patterns. Silk fabrics were already diverse back then. Among them were brocade, dense one-color patterned silk, and the finest silk gauze. The ornaments reflected ideas about life, nature and happiness.

Natural silk - the history of the origin of the fabric

She grew the tree, but while she was growing it, another person became interested in it - a butterfly, or, more simply, a moth. The butterfly began to feed on the fresh leaves of the young tree and immediately laid grenas on its leaves - small eggs, from which caterpillars soon emerged.

Other legends say that the empress was drinking tea in the garden, and a cocoon fell from a tree into her cup. When she tried to remove it, she saw that a beautiful shiny thread was trailing behind it. Be that as it may, in China to this day silk is called “si”, after the name of the empress. In gratitude for the discovery of silk, she was elevated to the rank of deity of the Celestial Empire, and her memory is celebrated annually.

What happened next after the caterpillars appeared? In an effort to become a butterfly, they begin to create a cozy home for themselves - a cocoon from the finest silk thread, or rather from two threads at once, entwining themselves with them and becoming pupae. Then they are reborn into a butterfly, waiting in the wings to fly to freedom. And everything repeats itself.

The Chinese realized what an important factor in the economic life of the country silk thread could become. Subsequently, cocoons and silk became a means of exchange in ancient China, i.e. a kind of monetary unit.

Silk was used to make clothing, religious jewelry, and for the imperial house and its entourage. Caravans from all countries coming to China exchanged their goods for priceless fabric. China prospered. For further prosperity, it was necessary to keep the secret of silk production secret. Everyone knew what it meant to spread a secret, death under torture.

Many centuries later, the secret was finally revealed. The secret of silk was smuggled first to Korea, then to Japan. The Japanese understood the importance of the new industry and gradually reached a level that for many years created the country's global power.

Then came India. Yet again Chinese legend tells us that silk moth eggs and mulberry seeds were brought to India by a Chinese princess. This was around 400 AD. brought these valuables in her headdress. Perhaps this was true. One way or another, in India, in the valley of the Brahmaputra River, they began to develop sericulture.

Later, natural silk traveled through Persia to Central Asia and further to Europe. The Greeks were among the first to become acquainted with beautiful silk fabric. The philosopher Aristotle in his book “History of Animals” describes the mulberry caterpillar. The Romans also admired this fabric, and they especially valued purple silk.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, textile production moved to Constantinople. Moth eggs and mulberry seeds were brought here with the assistance of Emperor Justinian in a hollow bamboo reed. The Western world also obtained raw materials for silk production through smuggling, and Byzantine silk production gained worldwide fame.

The early prelates were among the first to wear silk clothes in Europe. catholic church. Their clothing and altar decorations were made of priceless fabric. The medieval nobility looked at all this with envy. Soon judges and aristocrats began to dress in silk. But for a long time, silk remained a treasure, for one kilogram of which they were ready to give a kilogram of gold.

Warriors of the Western world brought fabric for their wives and lovers from the defeated East. In ancient times, silk attracted attention not only for its beauty. It was believed that delicate, luxurious fabric healed a person from many diseases when it came into contact with the body.

The Chinese also excelled in fabric ornamentation. And when silk craftsmanship spread to Africa, Egypt, Spain and throughout the world, Islamic culture somewhat changed the design of the precious fabric. Many patterns and images were abandoned, but instead of human figures, decorative compositions and inscriptions appeared.

The first silk factory was built in Turin, and this business was encouraged in cities such as Florence, Milan, Genoa, and Venice.

In the Middle Ages, silk production became one of the main industries - in Venice - in the 13th century, in Genoa and Florence - in the 14th century, in Milan - in the 15th century, and in the 17th century France became one of the leaders in Europe.

But already in the 18th century throughout Western Europe silk production was established.

How are silk threads created?

Protein metabolism takes place in the caterpillar's body. The proteins of the mulberry leaves, under the influence of enzymes in the caterpillar's digestive juice, break down into individual amino acids, which in turn are absorbed by the caterpillar's body. Next, the transformation of some amino acids into others occurs.

Thus, by the time of pupation, a liquid substance consisting of various amino acids necessary for the creation of silk - fibroin and silk glue - sericin accumulates in the body of the caterpillar. At the moment of cocoon formation, the caterpillar secretes two thin silks through special ducts. At the same time, sericin is also released, i.e. glue that sticks them together.

The caterpillars that emerge from the testicles are no larger than 2 mm in size; after 4-5 weeks they reach 3 cm. The process of creating a cocoon takes 4-6 days, while the caterpillar, as scientists have calculated, must shake its head 24 thousand times to build its dollhouse. This is how the silkworm transforms into a pupa.

Together with the pupa, the cocoon weighs 2–3 grams. Then, after about two weeks, the transformation into a butterfly occurs, which is as inconspicuous as a moth.

But turning into a butterfly in silk production cannot be allowed, since it, trying to break free, will spoil the integrity of the silk thread. What are they doing? The cocoons are fried in an oven, then treated in a chemical solution, sometimes in ordinary boiling water. This is done so that the sticky substance evaporates and the cocoon collapses and disintegrates into threads.

These caterpillars are not only the creators of silk, but also served as the prototype of spinnerets - mechanisms for forming artificial silk thread. If you carefully observe the phenomena occurring in nature, you can discover a lot for yourself, and you can’t imagine anything better than nature.

Currently, in addition to China, many countries are engaged in silk production: India, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Brazil and many others.

Features of natural silk production

1. Obtaining silkworm cocoons. A female silk butterfly lays approximately 500 eggs. They are sorted, leaving only healthy ones. After 7 days, small silkworm caterpillars appear, which are fed with mulberry leaves, having previously been selected and crushed. Then the caterpillars begin to spin cocoons-houses. This happens for several days until they completely twist themselves. After which they are again sorted by color, shape, size.

2. Unwinding of cocoons. The pupa is killed so that it does not have time to hatch and damage the cocoon. The cocoon is then immersed in boiling water to dissolve the sticky substance and separate the threads.

3. Creation of silk threads. One cocoon can produce up to 1000 m of thread. Up to 5-8 threads are twisted into one fiber, resulting in a fairly long silk thread. This produces raw silk, which is then wound into skeins. And again they are sorted and processed until better density and uniformity. Now you can send it to the weaving factory.

4. Fabric making. The yarn is soaked and processed and dyed again. Now the weaving begins, using various weaves.

Types and properties of silk fabrics

Silk thread is elastic. It is elastic, shiny and easily colored. Why are silk fabrics different? This is due to the type of insect and plant leaves that the caterpillars fed on. The thinnest silk is made from three silk threads (three cocoons), and ordinary fabric is made from eight to ten cocoons.

The silkworm produces fiber for satin, taffeta, satin, chiffon, and organza. More dense fabrics - tassar, maga, eri - are made from fibers of “Indian” caterpillars that feed on the leaves of castor, oak and polyantas trees.

Silk threads come in different types. It all depends on the country where the silkworm caterpillars were raised, the conditions ( habitat or artificial), as well as the leaves they were fed with - mulberry, oak, castor (castor) and others.

All this determines the characteristics of the future fabric. Different types of weaves also create different types of fabrics that differ in properties, appearance and other parameters.

Popular types of silk fabrics with different thread weaves are:

Toilet silk. Natural silk fabric with plain weave. It has a soft shine, is quite dense, holds its shape well, and therefore is suitable for ties, dresses and linings.

Atlas. This is a satin weave silk fabric. It is dense, smooth and shiny on the front side, quite soft, and drapes well. Used for sewing clothes and shoes, as well as for decorative upholstery.

Silk-satin. This is a satin weave fabric. The fabric is smooth, silky on the front side, dense and shiny. Dresses, blouses, skirts and men's shirts are made from this fabric.

Crepe. The fabric is made from threads with a high twist, which is called crepe, and is distinguished by its roughness and slight shine. Crepe combines several types of fabrics: crepe satin, crepe chiffon, crepe de chine, crepe georgette. These fabrics drape well and are used for sewing dresses and suits.

Chiffon. Plain weave silk fabric. Very soft and thin fabric, matte, slightly rough, transparent, drapes well. This fabric is made from beautiful dresses intended for a special occasion.

Organza. A fabric that is stiff, thin and transparent. It is smooth and shiny and holds its shape well. Dresses are sewn from it as wedding attire, and used for decorative decoration - flowers, bows.

Gas. The fabric has a gauzy weave. The main properties can be called lightness, transparency, which is achieved by a large space between its threads, holds its shape well, and does not have shine. More often used for decorative decoration, for wedding dresses.

Chesucha (wild silk). The fabric is dense, with an interesting texture, which is formed using threads of unequal thickness. The material is durable, soft, with a slight shine, drapes well, and is used for curtains and various clothes.

Silk DuPont. The fabric is very dense, one might say rigid, with a soft shine. Used for sewing curtains. Indian DuPont is especially prized. In addition to curtains, wedding and evening dresses, various accessories and expensive bed linen are made from it.

Taffeta. Taffeta can be made not only from cotton, but also from silk fabric. It is distinguished by its high quality, thanks to tightly twisted silk threads. When sewing, it forms folds that give the product volume and fluffiness. They make curtains from it, outerwear and evening wear.

In addition to those mentioned, there are other types of silk fabrics, for example, crepe georgette, crepe de Chine, silk epontage, muslin, brocade, excelsior, charmeuse, twill, silk cambric, foulard.

Proper care of clothes made of natural silk

1. Natural silk is essentially a protein similar to the human epidermis, and therefore does not tolerate high temperatures. Wash in water no higher than 30 degrees.
2. Use special detergents intended for silk products. Alkaline powders can damage delicate items.
3. If you use hand washing, do not excessively wrinkle or rub the product - this can ruin the structure of the fabric.
4. If you wash it in a machine, you should do it only in the “Silk” or “Delicate Wash” mode.
5. Bleaching is not recommended - the fabric will not only wear out quickly, but will also turn yellow.
6. Fabric softeners should not be used.
7. The last rinse is best done in cold water with vinegar added. This will rid the fabric of alkaline residues.
8. Do not twist the product too much, dry it in a machine drum or dry it in the sun.
9. Iron from the inside out using the “Silk” setting.
10. Do not allow deodorants, perfumes, hairspray or other substances that contain alcohol to come into contact with silk products. In addition, sweat also spoils silk.
11. Silk products are best dry cleaned.

Anyone can raise silkworms if they wish. You must have a utility room and a mulberry tree. The silkworm is the most useful insect for humans after the bee. But, unlike bees, this butterfly finds it difficult to survive without the constant care of people.

When the secret of silk production became the property of Japan, and the Japanese prince Sue Tok Daishi left an interesting testament to his people regarding silkworm breeding and silk production:

“...Be as attentive and gentle to your silkworms as a father and mother are to their nursing child...may your own body serves as a measure for changes in cold and heat. Keep the temperature in your homes even and healthy; Keep the air clean and constantly bring all your care into your work, day and night...”

And so, natural silk is obtained from the cocoon of a silkworm caterpillar. But there are also artificial and synthetic types of silk fabrics. All of them have the unique properties of natural silk: shine, smoothness and strength.

Nowadays, silkworm breeding continues throughout the world, especially in Southeast Asia.

Natural silk from the Crimean peninsula

The glory of Crimean silks was known throughout the world. Once upon a time, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi wore a sari made from the famous Crimean silk on all her trips abroad. And today there are still those skilled craftsmen with whose help it is possible to create a powerful silkworm production.

If silk production is established in Crimea, then in a short time the glory of the peninsula will once again resound throughout the world, and Crimean silk will become a reliable source of income for the residents of Crimea.

China gave the world many wonderful inventions: compass, paper, porcelain, gunpowder and silk. Once upon a time, the secret of silk production was one of the most guarded in the Celestial Empire. For disclosing this technology to foreigners, the Chinese could face the death penalty. Today the secret of silk is known to everyone. But so far, no country has managed to achieve such heights in silk production as the Chinese masters.

Production technology

Silkworm cocoons are used to make natural silk threads. This species of butterfly is related to the common house moth. Obviously, silkworms originated from wild silk moths, which chose mulberry trees as a place of residence. Many insects, such as spiders, have the ability to produce silk fibers. However, such silk is not used in the textile industry.

Silkworm

Data archaeological excavations suggest that the targeted breeding of silkworms began in China 4000-5000 years ago. As the wild moth became domesticated, it lost the ability to fly; in some individuals, the organs of vision and oral apparatus were almost undeveloped.

Female silkworms lay several hundred tiny eggs and die after a few days. The eggs are carefully checked and undergo several tests for various infections. Healthy eggs, which will then be used for further production, are sent to an incubator. After about a week, larvae emerge from the eggs. They are monitored very carefully; in the room where the silkworms are located, constant temperature and humidity, and loud noises are not allowed. At this stage of development, silkworms eat constantly to gain strength before turning into a butterfly. Their diet includes mulberry leaves, citrus peels and lettuce. After about a month, the larvae begin to prepare for last stage their height and begin to spin a cocoon.

With the help of special glands, caterpillars produce a special thick mass that hardens upon contact with air. This mass consists of two main substances:

• fibroin is a protein that many insects can produce.
• Sericin is an adhesive substance that holds the threads together.

Despite the fact that silk threads are much thinner than human hair, they are very durable. After all, while the larva is in the cocoon, it must be protected from predators and moisture. It takes no more than 4 days to create a cocoon for a seven-centimeter larva. After this, the cocoons are sorted depending on color and quality. White cocoons are most suitable for textile production. In order to obtain more raw materials of the desired color, Chinese breeders have been crossing certain individuals for centuries. After about a week and a half, shortly before the larvae can leave the cocoon, it is time to collect the silk. The cocoons are placed in hot water, this kills the caterpillars and destroys some of the sticky sericin. If you leave the cocoons too long, the caterpillars will turn into butterflies and break the silk threads.

Now the cocoons can be unwound. One silkworm produces from 600 to 1000 meters of silk thread. In order to obtain a thread suitable for textile production, it is necessary to connect 5-7 threads produced by caterpillars. Before weaving the fabric, the threads are twisted again so that they become even and smooth. They are then thoroughly washed and cleaned. Silk skeins can now be dyed and sent to weaving looms.

Today, silk production in China is a high-tech process, but thousands of years ago all manipulations with silk threads were done by hand.

History of sericulture in China

By the 5th century BC. e. Sericulture has become one of the most developed areas of Chinese production. The main center for silk production was the city of Hangzhou. At first, only members of the imperial family wore clothes made of precious threads. But over time, high dignitaries and courtiers began to wear silk more and more often.

For residents ancient China silk became not just a fabric, but something divine. Mulberry groves, rooms where silk was woven, became truly sacred places. Rituals dedicated to the goddess Tsanshen, the patroness of sericulture, were often held here. According to legends, in ancient times, foreigners kidnapped one person. The prisoner's wife vowed to marry her daughter to someone who would return her husband. A few days later the owner of the house returned, sitting astride his horse. After returning, the horse refused food and water. Then the mistress of the house told her husband about her oath. The owner killed the horse and hung the skin to dry in the yard. When the owner's daughter came out into the yard, the skin suddenly wrapped itself around the girl and carried her through the air. In the end, they landed on a large tree, where the girl immediately turned into a silkworm. Later, the parents saw their daughter flying through the sky and she told them that she had become a goddess. In the provinces where sericulture was developed, Tsanshen was given great honors and sacrifices were made.

By the 3rd century BC. e. silk became a kind of currency. They were given salaries, paid taxes and paid for goods. Silk production expanded beyond individual provinces and spread throughout China. Each province began to introduce something new into silk manufacturing technology, so raw materials from different parts countries had their own characteristics. At this time, silk was distinguished by a variety of textures, colors and rich embroidery. There were a number of the most common subjects and ornaments performed on silk:

• dragons;
• flowers;
• fish and algae;
• phoenixes;
• palaces and scenes from the life of high dignitaries, etc.

Chinese craftswomen did embroidery only in good and clear weather. The art of embroidery required inspiration and a cheerful mood. Mostly plant substances obtained from leaves, bark and roots were used to dye silk.

The scope of use of silk has also expanded. It was used to make fishing line, strings, as a writing material and for weaving bowstrings.

From the 2nd century BC. e. The silk trade began in China. At first, the products were distributed only in neighboring countries- Japan, Korea. But by the 6th century AD. e. in connection with the flourishing of the Great Silk Road, Chinese silk began to reach countries North Caucasus, Central Asia and Europe. Despite widespread exports, the Chinese jealously guarded the secret of silk production. The export of silkworm cocoons outside the country was strictly prohibited under penalty of death. In other countries, attempts have been made more than once to unravel the mystery of silk. The assumptions were the most unexpected. Some argued that silk comes from plant fibers, bird down, or even soil.

But, despite strict prohibitions, already in the 4th century AD. e. sericulture technology becomes known in Japan, and in the 6th century - in Byzantium. The secret of sericulture came to Europe much later - already in the era Crusades. However, sericulture has not become widespread in Europe. Cheap cotton was more popular here. And in some countries, entire populations of silkworms have died out due to epidemics. Therefore, in the modern era, China and Japan became the world leaders in silkworm farming.

Can't be named exact date, when people learned to use threads from silkworm cocoons to make fabric. Ancient legend says that one day a cocoon fell into the tea of ​​the Empress of China - the wife of the Yellow Emperor - and turned into a long silk thread. It is believed that it was this empress who taught her people to breed caterpillars in order to produce fabric unique in its composition. Ancient technology production was strictly classified for many years, and for disclosing this secret one could easily lose one’s head.

What is silk made from?

Several thousand years have passed, but silk products are still in demand and valued all over the world. Numerous artificial silk substitutes, although their properties are closer to the original, are still inferior to natural silk in many respects.

So, natural silk is a soft fabric made from threads extracted from the cocoon of the silkworm (read the article “?”). About 50% of the world's natural silk production is concentrated in China, and the best quality silk is supplied from here throughout the world. By the way, silk production began here back in the fifth millennium BC, so this craft is more than traditional in China.

The finest silkworms are used to create the highest quality silk. Having hatched from the eggs, these caterpillars immediately begin to eat. In order to begin producing silk threads, silkworms increase their weight by 10 thousand times by ingesting only fresh mulberry leaves! After 40 days and 40 nights of continuous feeding, the larvae begin to weave a cocoon. A silk cocoon is made from one single strand of saliva. Each caterpillar is capable of producing almost a kilometer-long silk thread! It takes 3-4 days to make a cocoon.

By the way, not only silkworms produce threads. Spiders and bees also produce silk, but only silkworm silk is used in industry.

Silk production technology

The production of natural silk is a rather complex and multi-stage process. The first stage involves cleaning and sorting silkworm cocoons. Unraveling the delicate silk thread is not so easy, because it is glued together with a protein called sericin. For this purpose, the cocoons are thrown into hot water to soften the sericin and clean the threads. Each thread is only a few thousandths of a millimeter wide, so to make the thread strong enough, several threads have to be intertwined. It takes about 5,000 cocoons to produce just one kilogram of silk.

After removing the sericin protein, the threads are thoroughly dried, since when wet they are quite fragile and easy to break. Traditionally, this is done by adding raw rice to the threads, which easily absorbs excess moisture. In automated production, the threads are also dried.

The dried silk thread is then wound onto special device, which accommodates a huge number of threads. After all these procedures, the finished silk is hung out to dry.

Undyed silk thread is a bright yellow thread. To dye it in other colors, the thread is first dipped in hydrogen peroxide to bleach it, and then dyed in desired color using dyes.

Silk threads still have a long way to go in order to become fabric, namely the weaving of threads on a loom. In Chinese villages, where traditional hand-made production flourishes, 2-3 kilograms of silk are produced daily, but automatic production at the factory allows the production of 100 kilograms of silk every day.