The process begins with the purchase of white silk fiber* and winding the threads from cones into skeins. These are then submerged into small dye baths where they simmer, are then rinsed, dried, and unwound onto spools. “Acid” dyes that bond with protein fibers are used. Warps are designed, colors coordinated and dressed on the loom, stretched from front to back, then sleyed back through the eyes of the heddles and the reed. Each woven piece is unique—no motors, no power assists. The finished pieces are then gently washed, machine dried and ironed.
Silk is the fiber of choice. Most of the dyeing takes place in the winter when the skein are dried from heat emanating from the wood stove. Dyes are never measured; combinations infinite. With silk’s natural imperfections, an ideal channel for creativity and surprise.
Silk is a natural fiber that is drawn from the cocoon of a silk worm. In addition to being soft and luxurious, it’s durable—nature’s strongest fiber. Strands pulled from cocoons are too thin for weaving; between 6-20 strands are reeled together. For a pound of silk, filaments from 2-3,000 cocoons are required. When woven, this translates into a scarf that is gentle, elegant, resilient.
Because of its natural protein structure, silk is highly breathable, absorbing up to 30% of its weight in moisture without making you feel damp—keeping you cool in the heat, warm in the cold. And silk is the most hypoallergenic of all fabrics, containing many amino acids that work with the body and known not to irritate the skin.
Wind it around a sweater or a bare neck. Go bold or quietly with color.
* Black fiber is purchased. Hand-dyeing cannot create the desired intensity. All “colors” are hand dyed, blended by combining the basics—yellow, cyan, fuschia, and black.