I believe silk is a cool breathable fabric for warm weather, and warm and comfortable in cold temperatures? I wish to use this fabric as I think it would be better against the skin - but what type of silk would be the most practical for this purpose? Also can anyone tell me where I can find reasonably priced suppliers of silk fabric in the uk, preferably via internet? Thanks.|||Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from cocoons made by the larvae of the silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity (sericulture). The shimmering appearance for which silk is prized comes from the fibers' triangular prism-like structure which allows silk cloth to refract incoming light at different angles.
"Wild silks" or tussah silks (also spelled "tasar") are produced by caterpillars other than the mulberry silkworm (Bombyx mori). They are called "wild" as the silkworms cannot be artificially cultivated like Bombyx mori. A variety of wild silks have been known and used in China, India, and Europe from early times, although the scale of production has always been far smaller than that of cultivated silks. Aside from differences in colors and textures, they all differ in one major aspect from the domesticated varieties: the cocoons that are gathered in the wild have usually already been damaged by the emerging moth before the cocoons are gathered, and thus the single thread that makes up the cocoon has been torn into shorter lengths. Commercially reared silkworm pupae are killed before the adult moths emerge by dipping them in boiling water or piercing them with a needle, thus allowing the whole cocoon to be unraveled as one continuous thread. This allows a much stronger cloth to be woven from the silk. Wild silks also tend to be more difficult to dye than silk from the cultivated silkworm.
Silks are produced by several other insects, but only the silk of moth caterpillars has been used for textile manufacture. There has been some research into other silks, which have differences at the molecular level. Silks are mainly produced by the larvae of insects with complete metamorphosis, but also by some adult insects such as webspinners. Silk production is especially common in the Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, and ants), and is sometimes used in nest construction. Other types of arthropod produce silk, most notably various arachnids such as spiders.|||You are correct that silk is suitable for outdoor weather and it would be a good idea to use for a balaklava....
I have spent over an hour trying to locate a stretch silk fabric in the UK, as well as the US but I cannot find a place that lists any on line. I did find one company that had a stretch chiffon silk in the US. http://www.denverfabrics.com/Merchant2/m鈥?/a>
A Balaclava/neck tube really needs to be of a stretchy fabric. I've made a few in my time for my husband and kids and always used a knit or stretchy fabric....so.... I have an idea for you.
How about purchasing a set of Silk Long Underwear such as found in this link: http://www.nznature.co.nz/mshop/spi//5_T鈥?/a>
Cut the balaklava/neck tube out of the fabric in the long underwear. You could purchase a "large or Extra-large" set so you can utilize as much of the fabric as you can.
It may be easier than trying to locate appropriate silk fabric...
Of course, no one will know that you are wearing underwear on your head unless you tell them!
;o)
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