BLACKBERRY Runner

Size 14"x72"
100% silk
Cruelty-free
Handspun 
Handwoven on bamboo looms
Hand-braided fringe
Azo-free dyes
Dry clean recommended
Crafted by tribal and rural artisans from Northern India

Description 

This unique, luxurious silk is considered cruelty-free and compassionate as silk worms aren't harmed, unlike in conventional silk-making, in which cocoon extraction involves killing silk worms in boiling water. Empty cocoons are obtained after a patient wait for silk worms to metamorphose into moths. Silk threads are handspun then handwoven to create this exclusive piece!

Cocoon cultivators, spinners, dyers, weavers and tailors are all part of the community of rural artisans who benefit from this effort.

A Fair Trade product. Handmade by artisans in India.

How It's Made

This special silk known as cruelty-free silk (also known as Ahimsa or non-violent silk) is the most humane of all silk production practices. The cocoon is harvested after the silkworms turn into moths and vacate them. The rupture causes the long, continuous silk strands to be broken into several shorter strands. These are handspun on a spinning wheel and may have little nubs where two strands join. This process is highly valued, and offers a greater degree of fiber purity, emphasizing the natural luster of the silk. In contrast, in conventional silks, the silkworms within the cocoons are killed as part of the process.

Artisans handspin yarn, dye with low-impact, Azo-free dyes, and handweave the products on wooden pit looms. Each of these steps support local artisan livelihood.