Silk Museum

 On Saturday afternoon we visited the Silk Museum. They showed us how the silk is harvested and spun. I've seen a lot of agricultural production in my day, but this was pretty fascinating. This was definitely "old school".

 They use a brush made of branches to swirl the cocoons around in some water. The fibers stick to the branches and then they draw out a single thread and thread it into the spinner.

 She threads the machine and it spins it on large rolls on top. The single threads are so thin you have to touch them to believe that they are really there. The thread is incredibly strong. Of course, the tour guides give you several examples of "feats of strength" to prove the silk is "strongest fiber in world." I have to admit. You couldn't do it with cotton.

 This woman drew the short straw in terms of job for the day. She rolls the silk around in the water and pulls out the worms. Below she shows me the "best cocoons" cause it has the awesome "double worm". According to these folks the "double worm" makes some awesome silk. For a fact, the worms look absolutely creepy...and this is coming from a woman who has toured a cricket-raising facility (for reptile consumption) in California. I would be wearing full-on rubber gloves if I had her job.

 Then she takes the silk in the cocoons and stretches it over this horseshoe shape to dry it out. She layers 100 cocoons. There were several more displays of the strength of the silk. "You poke it. You see very, very strong!"

 These ladies take the horseshoe piles and stretch them out by hand and lay them out on this form. When they get to a certain thickness they put a cover on it and you're left with a silk comforter. "Natural fiber will breathe. Keep you cool. Keep you warm. It perfect for everybody!" Sans marketing ploy, it was one of the best agricultural tours ever.