Tussah Schnauzer

Oh my goodness I am so excited!!!!!

Today I am going to try out Tussah silk, I have done a bit of research and this is what I found on the internet…

Tussah silk is derived from cocoons collected after the moth has emerged naturally in the field, which makes it animal friendly. It is a type of wild silk, that is produced by silkworms that feed on oak and juniper leaves. As the worm is not grown in a controlled environment, the moth hatches from the cocoon and interrupts the filament length, resulting in short and coarse fibers, instead of long and lustrous ones. The “broken thread” is about 10-15cm long and has to be spun into yarn.

Tussah silk is valued most for its spectacular colors. These colors include gold, beige, and cream which are all unlike the traditional white silk. To this day, Silk Tussah is considered a luxury fabric.

It can also be used in making soap. The addition of silk will cause your homemade soap to have a more shiny appearance, slightly increased lather, be more slippery, and have a general luxurious "silky" feeling to it.

Tussah silk can also be used in making beautiful handmade paper.

…So here I go…my felting needle awaits…

…A few hours later…

I LOVE working with Tussah silk, it is so soft and has a gentle sheen. Working with it is such a pleasure, I decided that one animal will not be enough…I had to make 2 (at least).

I wanted to make a dog first.. It started off as a different breed, but ended up being a Schnauzer. For the grey areas I blended the silk with some black alpaca fleece. For my little white tiger I used alpaca for the base and covered it with Tussah silk.

Whether you are a felter, a soap maker or paper maker, do yourself a favor and try working with Tussah silk… I am certain that you will love it too!