This is really interesting... young designer Elsbeth Joy Nielson from the Netherlands has discovered a way of producing silk without killing silkworms. As per the norm silkworms are thrown into boiling water when they cocooned themselves - which is the end of life.
The designer has been experimenting with an idea of sustainable silk production: before starting the cocooning she puts the silkworm on a shaped piece of carton board which is held by a stick that is centered on the downside. The silkworm then starts trying to escape from this platform - without success of course as it fall down at the edges of the carton. In the two days of crossing the carton in the search of an escape the silkworm so spins a random net of silk. The result is a very delicate texture made of silk which you can see in the picture. After this procedure the puts the silkworm back, lets him spin his cocoon and become a silk-spinner butterfly.
The only problem is that the butterfly has been breeded to produce silk for centuries and now his wings are not big enough that it could make him fly. Well - maybe biotechnology can help on that problem.
The resulting scarf demonstrates the fabric's exquisite beauty.
Via Roger Live.
The resulting scarf demonstrates the fabric's exquisite beauty.
Via Roger Live.
