Nepalese Silk - Handspun & Zaguri

Silk is a natural fibre that we have been working with for some years now, but we are pleased to say that all of the silk we now work with comes from silkworms reared and spun in Nepal. We'd like to keep our sourcing and production within Nepal and rely less on fibres brought into the country, namely from China and India.

The image above shows the cocoons of bivoltine silk worms (worms having two broods a year). The worms have been removed to keep silk purity to a maximum. These silk worms are found in sub-tropical hilly regions and are said to be higher in quality than the multivoltine silk worms found in tropical regions.

The empty cocoons are washed in hot water and made ready for hand spinning. The image below shows a lady creating a handspun yarn with a pedal powered wheel. The organisation we work with was established to promote Nepalese silk and also uplift the economic status of the many women employed in the various regions throughout Nepal.

Sericulture and silk production are relatively new to Nepal, but a valuable sector for organic and sustainable development and more than worthy of our support. We are delighted to add a handspun undyed silk yarn to our craft materials available on our stall and also online in the coming weeks. The silk yarn is available in 50g balls. The image below shows a scarf that has been loosely woven from handspun Nepalese silk.

The final image shows what we know as 'zaguri' silk.

Zaguri is a spinning process (originating in Kozuke, a silk-producing area of Japan) where the cocoon is left intact so a continuous individual filament can be extracted. Depending on the denier of the silk thread being reeled, the craftsperson would take multiple filaments from different cocoons to produce an even thread. The zaguri silk thread in the image has been made up from  fifty filaments.

Natural fibres, Natural dyes and Original designs http://www.sorazora.com/

What Is Bamboo Fabric?

Bamboo has been heavily publicised by manufacturers as being the ultimate in green fibre. Is this true or are we being bamboozled? I wanted to know how a bamboo T-shirt came to be. The following information is not a complete account, but hopefully covers enough ground to give you a rough idea.

Growing Bamboo

The commercial growing of bamboo has the potential to be quite an eco-friendly process. As with all forms of commercial farming, profit often overides environmental issues. Harvesting wild bamboo in sustainable quantities would ensure minimal impact on the environment, but would sadly not satisfy the world's demand.

With commercial growing operations there is the real fear of clearing vast swaths of diverse wildlife and replacing it all with just the one plant type. Although bamboo grows well without chemical assistance, one would find it hard to believe that all producers resist the temptation of boosting production.

Most of the bamboo used to make clothing is grown in mainland China and bought up by Hebei Jigao Chemical Fiber Company. They hold the patent on the most widely used process for turning bamboo into fabric.

The Process

Modern bamboo yarn is a regenerated cellulose fibre. The fibres may be derived from bamboo pulp, but they have not been made from natural bamboo fibres and are, in fact, rayon fibres made through a chemical process. Bamboo fabrics, for the most part, are synthesised fibres and should really be labelled rayon or viscose. There is a mechanical process for extracting the fibres and producing yarn, but this is more labour intensive, therefore expensive, resulting in a fabric unlike the soft bamboo you would have likely experienced.

For the chemical process, the crushed bamboo is cooked with the help of Sodium hydroxide in to a cellulose fibre liquid and then pressed to remove any excess sodium hydroxide solution. Carbon disulfide is added to sulfurize the compound and cause it to jell. Sodium hydroxide is again added to create a viscose solution. The solution is then forced through tiny spinneret nozzles into a larger container of diluted sulfuric acid which hardens the viscose bamboo cellulose, creating tiny threads that can then be spun into regenerated bamboo fibre yarns.

The heavy processing of bamboo cellulose into fibre "can" be cleaner than that of conventional viscose if a closed loop process captures and reclaims all the solvents used in the process, unfortunately this is not standard practice.

The mechanical process involves machines crushing the woody parts of the bamboo plant and then broken down into a mushy mass with the aid of natural enzymes. The individual fibres are then combed out and spun into yarn. This is similar to the process used to make linen.

The mechanical process is much less popular than chemical processing primarily because it is much more labour intensive and costly. If your T-shirt were processed in this way, I am sure the manufacturer would be advertising the fact to boast less harmful processing and to justify why it is comparatively more expensive.

Dyeing The Bamboo

A large amount of industrial water pollution is due to textile dyeing and treatment. Most often, it is the conventional petrochemical dyes from exhausted dye baths that take a heavy toll on our waterways. Undyed clothes are unquestionably better for the environment. If the idea of a totally off-white wardrobe isn't for you, then perhaps it is time to explore the vast range of botanical dyestuffs.

If your bamboo T-shirt's label doesn't boast a natural dye, then the chances are it is almost certainly a chemical colour. Chemical dyes are cheaper, easier to use and offer a wider range of colours that can be repeated and matched time after time.

Labelling

The main problem for the consumer is lack of information that allows them to make an informed decision. Of course, manufacturers only like to tell us the good things about their products. Law doesn't require labels to state ingredients used in the production process or even what processes are undertaken.

Consumers may be paying more for garments on the assumption that the garments have environmentally friendly qualities. As "going green" becomes ever more important, it is vital that there is adequate access to all the facts as opposed to being "Greenwashed!"

Natural fibres, Natural dyes and Original designs http://www.sorazora.com/

Nepalese Silk

The photo above shows two varieties of cocoon. The bright yellow colour of the cocoon on the right is totally natural, but yields less fibre than the white cocoon. Each cocoon is made from one long continuous fibre, the white producing between 1000 to 1500 metres and the yellow only producing around 600 metres.

Our silk products, most notably our silk scarves, are produced in India and imported into Nepal. This is a situation that we are hoping to change with the help of Tej (an instructor of silk production). Tej works for a government-run silk factory in Banepa, just outside Kathmandu and also produces silk yarn at his home.

Spinning the silk fibres by hand is a time consuming task, especially if you wish to maintain the same quality and size of yarn. Our use of silk allows for the silk worm to be removed from the cocoon, whereas other forms of yarn production require an undamaged cocoon to be boiled before unravelling.

One of the many aspects of silk production that Tej teaches to remote villagers is how to prepare silk for long term storage. The above photo shows the cocoon being loosened in water then stretched onto a wooden frame. Upto 250 cocoons can be spread onto the frame and left to dry. Many of the remote villagers tend to supply Tej with cocoons in the natural state after cutting open the cocoon to remove the silkworm.

The above photo shows Kiran, our dyeing master, and Tej, the silk expert, discussing the finer details of silk fibre.

Natural fibres, Natural dyes and Original designs http://www.sorazora.com/

The Nettle In Nepal "Allo"

In the mountains of Nepal, Nettle has been used for centuries because of its strength and durability. it is indigenous and regenerates quickly after harvesting. it grows like a weed and requires no irrigation, pesticides or mechanical processing. It is one of the best green fibres with an enviable environmental profile. Known locally as "Allo", Himalayan Giant Nettle occurs naturally as a forest undergrowth and on land unsuitable for farming between the altitudes of 1500m to 3000m.
The bark is stripped, which can be later used for basket weaving. The inner fibres are boiled and simmered overnight in a solution of water and wood ash before being beaten and rubbed in soil to help separation. After the fibres have been dried in the sun, they are spun on a hand spindle. This spinning process is time consuming and may take one person one day to produce 100 grammes of nettle yarn.


A great number of Nepal's population live in the hill areas and self sufficiency is usually a necessity. Nettle is a valuable raw material that provides a source of food, medicine, fodder and most importantly fibre. With farms unable to provide food all year round, nettle fibre provides the necessary income to ensure there is food on the table all through the year. One village that is well known as a nettle fibre producing area is Sankhuwasava which lies about 60km South-East of Mt. Everest. Sankhuwasava is an area that interests us greatly and provides some of our products, for example our 100% nettle shawl. Sankhuwasava is the subject of a very informative book written by Susi Dunsmore, titled "The Nettle In Nepal" it provides details of all aspects of harvesting , production and the farmer's lifestyle. This book comes highly recommended to those with an interest in nettle or traditional textile crafts. Through the promotion of Himalayan Giant Nettle we believe nettle can become a valuable commodity for the villagers and an international demand for this fibre would guarantee a stable income. This income would be vital for ensuring the continuation of traditional skills and improve access to some of life's basic needs, ie. healthcare and education.

Natural fibres, Natural dyes and Original designs. sorazora.com

THE USE OF NETTLE FIBRES TODAY

The concept of using stinging nettles (Urtica doica) to

produce clothing is not new. Clothing made from nettle

fabric has been worn for the past 2,000 years. During

the 16th century, cotton was introduced to Europe which

led to nettle fabric losing its popularity. Why was this so?

For harvesting and spinning, cotton is far easier and

became a firm favourite for fabric manufacture. The last

time nettles were used in large scale production was

during the first world war. Germany found their trade

routes blocked and had to look closer to home for the

production of military equipment and uniforms. An

abundance of nettles in the German countryside forced a

return to nettle fabric. After the war and reopening of

international trade, the import of cotton resumed.

Cotton requires an exotic climate to flourish and with the

climate in the UK being far from exotic, cotton has to

travel long distances to reach our market. Main cotton

producing countries include China, India, Pakistan and

Sudan. Another disadvantage of cotton is the amount of

water required for its farming, It is a plant greedy for

water and nearly a quarter of all pesticides used in the

world are used in cotton farming. Nettle, however,

manages well without much water or protection from

pests or weeds. As I am sure you are aware, nettles

flourish well in the UK and can be found wild all over the

country.

The world's over-reliance on cotton needs to be halted
with the manufacture of alternative crops. The
resurgence of nettle is beginning and I am sure it will
become even more relevant as we look to use more
sustainable environmentally friendly fabrics in our daily
lives.


At sorazora, nettle has already established itself as an
important member amongst our natural fibre collection.
As both a hand-spun fibre and a processed fibre, Giant
Himalayan Nettle (Girardina diversifolia) is widely used
across our range of products. This Spring/Summer
collection includes our first 100% nettle garment. 

Natural fibres, Natural dyes and Original designs http://www.sorazora.com/