The Art of Silk Weaving

Brief History 
Silk has a long and deeply rooted history. The Henan Province in China was the original home of silk dating back 6,000 years ago. Silk gradually spread from China to reach areas throughout Asia. The silk trade became famous mostly by merchants through the Silk Road stretching from China to Europe. Silk was a very lucrative export for China, even becoming a form of currency across continents. 

According to legend the secret of silk goes back to the Yellow Empress of China, nicknamed ‘The lady of the silkworms’. The Empress was pondering life under a mulberry tree one day when a silkworm cocoon fell into her tea and began to unravel into a long, silken thread. She realized that this was a very special fiber and she went on to invent the loom in her lifetime. 

The Silkworm
Silkworms are not worms at all, just a type of caterpillar, with the life cycle lasting about 60 days. Larvae pass through five growth stages during which they feed on the mulberry tree leaves. During the first molting, larvae shed all their hair to gain soft skin. Next is the cocoon phase. The cocoon is formed over a period of 3-6 days. Silkworms have a special pair of salivary glands that produce a protein liquid used for the production of silk. The liquid is secreted through holes in their mouths. The diameter of the holes determines the thickness of the thread. Finally, the moth comes out of the cocoon by secreting an enzyme. The moth only lives for a few days, during which the female is fertilized. The female dies after laying eggs, and the cycle begins again. 

The Process 
The process of silk weaving involves many stages; reeling, retrieving thread, spinning then looming, and weaving. 
Silk reeling is the process of spinning silk thread from cocoons. The cocoons are put into a pot of boiling water, and stirred until the filaments start to loosen up. Numerous threads are spun together then onto a wooden wheel.

Silk is spun into silk rolls or packs and dyed beautiful vibrant colors. Many countries throughout Asia such as Uzbekistan, Malaysia and Cambodia use a complex tie and dye technique known as ikat. Groups of threads are dip dyed in an interesting manner giving the end result an almost cloud like appearance. 
A traditional way of weaving is a combination of vertical and horizontal threads to create different patterns. The weavers must use their hands and feet at the same time which can become tiresome.  

Artisans Angkor
Artisans Angkor is an organization that runs numerous vocational centers throughout Cambodia. These centers focus on artisan crafts including woodworking, painting, jewelry making, and textile weaving. It was their silk farm workshop that I visited in Siem Reap that I got to see the entire process from silkworm to final product up close and personal. The Angkor Silk Farm employs around 400 local Khmer people on its beautiful grounds. Although it was interesting seeing the thousands of silkworms going through the entire metamorphosis process right before your eyes, it was the dozens of weavers working diligently on their loom that was truly impressive.

Silk threads of various colors were each spun onto small sticks that the weaver used to then thread on to the loom in elaborate patterns and motifs. Each weaver was working using all of their hands and feet at once while keeping track of all of the colored threads. Watching them was mesmerizing. This art form is dying out in Cambodia with limited access to raw silk and with ladies choosing to work the line in garment factories instead. Of course, the highlight of my whole experience was ending in the showroom where you could see the fruits of their labor. There were elegant silk dresses, loose fitting silk shirts, and enough silk scarves to make your head spin. After my visit to the silk farm, my appreciation for these artisans grew even more. As the clerk bagged up my new scarf, I felt excited and proud to contribute to their craft. 

 
Check out hand woven silk scarves and cotton ikat vests HERE