Silk Throwster Waste, What is it and How to Use it

What is Mulberry Silk Throwster Waste? 

Mulberry silk throwster waste is recycled silk waste from the silk industry. Is it collected from the twisted waste after the reeling of the silk yarn from the silk cocoon. It has been cleaned, bleached and all of the sericin or gum has been removed. It is a mass of threads which I dye in a range of bright colours.

Using silk throwsters waste for wet felting

I use this wonderful and versatile silk fibre for a couple of different things. Firstly, I use it for adding detail to the front of some of my pretty little wool felt coin purses.

Small coin purse with Throwsters waste felted into the front.

I will also use it for adding detail when making felted or needle felted pictures and adding fine details to flowers and leaves etc. A word of caution when using this fibre is less is more! Remember that silk itself will Not felt so don't blob it on and big dollops because the wool fibres will need to move up through the silk to hold it down. If this doesn't happen enough the silk will simply rub off the surface with very little wear.

Using silk throwsters waste for spinning

Another of my favourite ways to use this great fibre is to throw it into some textured art yarns. I don't put this stuff through my carder because it will tear the teeth apart and wreck the carding cloth if not handled carefully. I will just randomly snip it up with my scissors, but don't make the pieces too small and pile them up beside you. Now just spin away and every so often stop and grab some throwster waste and quickly pull it apart and let it twist into the art yarn as you are spinning. I let random bits pop out all over the place and this gives you loads of extra texture and make for a very interesting yarn. The example below has Mulberry silk  throwster waste and some sari silk as well.

Hand spun art yarn with Mulberry silk throwsters waste and sari silk.