Greening and Giving Life - Through Silk!
In a tiny, impoverished village deep in Jharkand, India, Preeti and her family have hope for the future. Despite having no electricity and no paved roads, the village has begun working towards self-sufficiency through sustainable development. You see, Preeti, her family and neighbors raise silkworms, which are abundant in the forests near their homes. Through careful rearing and caring for the trees in which they breed, these silkworms are coaxed to multiply. Only when the moths have left will the empty cocoons be gathered to make into silk.
For thousands of years, human beings have produced from the lowly silkworm cocoon beautiful silks. Known for its luxury, elegance and comfort, silk remains highly in demand throughout the globe. Silk is made from the cocoon of a silkworm. Unfortunately, traditional commercial ways of harvesting cocoons usually involve killing the pupae inside. This allows a cocoon to unravel in one continuous thread, which would be then woven into fine silk. The cost, however, is high. It takes thousands of dead silkworms to make just one meter of fabric. Moreover, commercial silk farms and manufacturers have been criticized for various reasons: for using child labor and/or for utilizing chemicals in the various stages of the silk production process to name a few.
The silk shawls and scarves you select for purchase can connect you to Indian silk farmers in the most surprising of ways. Today, India is the world's largest supplier of all commercial varieties of silk. Many villages deep in the Indian subcontinent are heavily dependent on silk production for their living. The residents are even able to surmount political challenges such as insurgency because of the income generated from silk. In addition, the increasing demand for eco-friendly and fair trade products in international markets have, thus, been a welcome boon to villages like Preeti's who use safe, non-violent, and natural methods to harvest cocoons and weave them into silk. Through this, they have a means of livelihood that will not only sustain their lives but also their surroundings as well.
Moreover, Preeti's tribe is now able to practice and teach the art of wild silk production to younger generations for them to continue earning a living. In addition, fair trade enables villages like Preeti's to improve their infrastructure in other ways such as in enabling them to buy better farming equipment, allowing them to install running water service or providing access to healthcare and medication.
Wild-silks are silks derived from silkworms that are "untamed", grown in the wild or in the forests. Different types of silkworm (factoring in their diet and habitat) make different types of silks. Wild silk, while coarser than commercial silk, is lightweight and naturally comes in a variety of shades. Silks like muga, tussar and eri make lovely scarves, shawls and clothing that boast of unique natural textures and patterns. These silks are most often dyed by natural pigments extracted from fruits, vegetables and flowers.
Tussar silk is a lightweight silk with a stiff but airy and delicate feel. The natural diet of tussar silkworms produces silk in shades of gold. Tussar silks blend very well with cotton or wool to make all-season apparel and accessories. Muga silk is actually the second most expensive fabric in the world, after pashmina wool. It is prized for its shimmering golden color which only gets better as you wash it. Muga silk is stain free, washable, and highly durable. Eri silk is a beautiful creamy white silk that is almost wrinkle free and which also blends well with other types of fabric. It has a dull, soft, wool-like finish.
Silk is one of the most environmentally-friendly fabrics because the means of raising silkworms, harvesting the cocoons and spinning the cloth can all be done in organic, renewable, sustainable and non-toxic manner. In addition, silk is biodegradable as well!
By enjoying silk, wild silk in particular, you help thousands local farmers and woman artisans. Silk production remains a major source of economic independence in areas where wages are low and poverty is the norm. Your purchase allows retailers and partner fair trade organizations to ensure that the working conditions, medical health and treatment of silk workers are fair, beneficial and accessible.
In the end, it is not only retailers and consumers like you who get to enjoy the many benefits of silk, but people like Preeti and her tribe can derive a great deal of life-giving financial security, self-respect and empowerment from this simple but elegant fabric. -------------------- While the names, locations and circumstances in this article have been changed, the difficulties that Indian women in Jharkand, India and other such areas face each day as well as the hope that artisanship can give them is very real.
References: 1. Wikipedia.org. "Wild Silk." 2. Warren McLaren. "Q&A. Is Silk Green?" Treehugger.com. Article online at http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/10/qa_is_silk_gree.php 3. Padmashali Affairs. 4. Arun Iyer. "Women power weaving magic with tasar silk." The Times of India (August 5, 2006). Article online at http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1855792.cms
About the Author
Karen Davis runs an online boutique called brownstoneshopper. It is where you can find distinctive pieces and ideas to accessorize your home.If you enjoyed this article on wild silk, see other articles on artisan culture, home decor, design and our unique product line that will inform your life. Join us at http://brownstoneshopper.com/about/sign-up
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