My Daily Spin – What is Tussah Silk, Anyway?

Right now I’m spinning Tussah Silk. What is that? It’s referred to as “wild silk”, as opposed to cultivated, although that is less likely to be true these days. Tussah silk is produced by moth caterpillars from the Antheraea family. It tends to be more sparkly looking and less uniform than cultivated silk, and is usually cream or honey colored rather than pure white. It’s a little easier to spin than “cultivated” (Bombyx or mulberry) silk and recommended for people who are learning to spin silk. That’s why I got it.

If you are interested, you can read more at

I’m starting to get more accustomed to this fiber, I was a little faster tonight. I’m happy with the spinning and plying ratios that I used on the last yarn, so I’m doing that again. I’ll also swatch the last sample just to see how it looks.

Until tomorrow.

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