Silk Island

By Alex Boston

We went to an area by the name of Silk Island where families process and weave silk, this area was only accessible via boat. We went to a house that was run by a family of sisters who explained the process of weaving silk. They explained silk comes from the cocoon of the silk worm which is a light orange color, but after it is spun they dye with natural dyes; for example, to make a purple color they boil a certain type of tree bark and soak the silk strands for up to two hours. After they explained how it was made, we saw a scarf being woven on a weave which was made completely out of wood.

They then gave us the option to buy silk scarves as well as other silk goods which was an interesting experience because in the US and in many developed countries, when we buy goods, textiles or otherwise, we never know where they are from, how they are made, or how much work goes into them so this was a foreign experience.

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