Silk – The origin and characteristics of high-quality natural fibre

Silk is one of the oldest natural fibers and stands for elegance and highest wearing comfort to this day.

The silk was discovered 5000 years ago in China. According to the legend, the wife of a Chinese emperor fell a silk cocoon in hot tea, whereby the noble silk thread is said to have detached. For a long time, China kept the secret of silk, which made the natural fiber in Europe increasingly desirable. Only about 2000 years ago, the silk was first exported on the famous Silk Road from China to Rome. At that time, silk was traded in Europe at the price of gold.

How does silk actually form?

Silk is made by the mulberry spinner caterpillar, which feeds exclusively on the leaves of the mulberry tree. As soon as the caterpillar has eaten thick, it spins into its cocoon of the finest silk. A single cocoon thread can reach a length of up to 1500 m. Quite remarkable, we would say.

The noble raw silk is unwound and spun by the silk cocoons. It is only 30 thousandths of a millimetre thick, which is why you need at least four threads of raw silk for a silk thread.

But what makes silk so special?

Silk is characterized by its smooth and shiny surface. It is supple, insulates against both cold and heat and is not very prone to creases. It is also particularly gentle on the skin.

In general, silk is particularly suitable for summer. With us in the shop there is a large selection of the highest quality silk – knitting is therefore not only a hit in winter.