9781422284933

“Wow! That’s a busy caterpillar. What happens next?” Milena continued. “This is where it gets a little tricky. The cocoons, pupa and all, are soaked in boiling water. This loosens the material holding the cocoon together. Then the cocoon is care- fully unwound, hopefully leaving a long, unbroken thread.” Nisha looked at the cocoon, her eyes huge with disbelief. “You mean the caterpillar dies?” “Yes. I told you this step was tricky. The caterpillar does die. That’s how silk is made. It’s been made like this for centuries.” Nisha rubbed the cloth between her fingers again. “This is so soft and beautiful. It’s hard to imagine all that went into making it.”

Peace Silk While silk is a natural fiber, it does result in the death of thousands of silk worms. Many people are concerned with this practice and have turned to a product called “peace silk” as an alternative. Peace silk is made from

the broken cocoons of silk- worms that have emerged as silk moths. The threads of the broken cocoons are fixed together by spinning them. The resulting silk is thicker, softer, and more delicate than traditional silk. And it is more expen- sive as the process is more complex. Perhaps you can consider looking for prod- ucts made of peace silk if you have concerns about the plight of the silkworms.

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