4. Silk

Us with some silkworms

On the way to the village today for a training, we stopped off in the middle of nowhere and learned about silkworms and how silk thread is made. In this area of the country, the silk is famous. Every lady wants their hands on a silk sari made with silk from this area. I don't know the technical terms or the exact process, but this is what our new friend told us about how silk is made.

Our new friend

First, you have gazillions of silkworms, munching on mulberry leaves from the day they hatch until about 30 days later when they are full grown and fat from all the eating. They are kept in a dark shelter.





Then, you put the worms in these interesting little boards where they begin to spin the silk around their bodies until a cocoon is formed.




The farmer then either lets the worm become a silk moth (to be able to produce more eggs) then removes the silk, or he unwinds the cocoon/silk thread and takes it to the market where it is bought and then made into silk fabric.


For more legit information on the topic, click HERE

It's not everyday that you get to visit a silk farm. But, it was a fun treat and really neat to see!