The handspun textural accents in this scarf were spindle spun from hand-painted eri sliver. The fibre preparation had a silky soft hand and a satiny sheen. Quite a contrast to my first experience spinning eri fibre from India in the early 1980’s. At that time, the traditional degumming process subjected cocoons to strong alkalis and lengthy boiling times to coax the fine eri fibres free. Once degummed, the cocoons were rinsed to remove the last traces of the alkalis, dried, and processed using equipment similar to that used to produce cotton roving. The ramifications of this traditional approach was roving comprised of very short to short staple lengths that felt dry and more like cotton than silk to the touch. The fibre had virtually no lustre and more of a matte finish. Because of these fibre characteristics, for thousands of years eri silk was not deemed to be as precious as other silks in India and was relegated to weaving cloth for humble everyday items such as clothing, quilts, blankets, scarves, and monk’s robes.
Research and improved technology have provided a clearer picture of the structure of eri cocoons. Scientists discovered that deposits of a mineral called whewellite, not sericin alone, contributed to holding eri cocoons firmly intact. Armed with this knowledge a process called demineralization was developed. Before degumming, the cocoons are soaked in a solution containing EDTA acid to remove the whewellite. Demineralization followed by a gentler degumming process releases the silk fibre from the cocoons while leaving more of the protective sericin coating intact. The new process helps to maintain the fibre’s natural lustre and improves its ability to withstand the rigours of carding and combing. The fibre is then processed using an Italian or Japanese slivering technique. This worsted fibre preparation technique removes the shortest fibres from the sliver. The result is eri sliver with medium to long staple lengths that has beautiful satiny lustre and a soft silky handle.
Over the next few posts, I will explain the changes I have made to my fibre preparation method and spinning technique, in response to the significant changes in the character of eri sliver.
Note: The hand-painted eri sliver was purchased from Sanjo Silks in Vancouver.