Ethical silk cocoons - where can I buy them?

[Leonor (of Eleanor Shadow)]

Hello, everyone!

I'm writing this thread to ask about silk cocoons. I'd like to try and dye and then incorporate some into my handspun art yarn, but one thing that's always kept me from buying is not knowing how the cocoons themselves were harvested. For me, it's hard to consider the fact that silk worms are killed in the process, so I'm looking for 'ethically sourced' ones - aka, cocoons that were retrieved only after the silk worm had eaten through the top and gotten out as a beautiful butterfly

So... I was wondering if any of you lovely people might know where I can get some? Thanks in advance! 

[Shepherdess]

I know there is a place we were discusing it on facebook a few weeks ago. I will look for it. ok found the links. Personally I would just like to find some that didn't cost more then it does reeled, spun and woven.

www.aurorasilk.com/silkworms/cocoons.html this is the source we were talking about. however I don't know about this group as on their dye page they sell cochineal and that is killing a bug for dye. Not sure on the difference is killing one bug and not the other.

 

This is info about ethical silk: it is an opinion and I am not advocating for or against Peace silk. Just some info if you are interested.

www.wormspit.com/peacesilk.htm

[MTRuth]

Sorry but I don't know of any place. I don't really use many silk cocoons.

[Leonor (of Eleanor Shadow)]

Thanks for the help, Ann! I'll check them out - although you're right, I'm quite unsure about not killing silk worms but killing cochineal bugs :/

[Leonor (of Eleanor Shadow)]

Ann, I just finished reading the article you linked to about peace silk. Can I confess I said some bad words afterwards? Argh, so I guess there's not really such a thing as cruelty-free silk...

(I'm not complaining about the share, mind you, I'm really thankful that you gave me something to think about!)

[Pandagirl]

They were also VERY expensive. Dharma Trading carries silk roving that is peace silk

www.dharmatrading.com/clothing/eri-peace-silk-roving.html?lnav=clothing.html

they also have an article about silks I think I posted this a while back but here it is again

www.dharmatrading.com/home/silk-myths-busted.html?utm_source=2015_02_01-silkpromo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter

[Frances]

This is interesting - if a mosquito lands on you you kill it, if fly or an ant is bothering your picnic you kill it, if a roach appears you kill it, if you get mice in your house you trap and kill them, some people who grow pize hybrid tea roses use pesticides, if you get a wasp or bee nests you get rid of them so where to we start and stop? I no longer use pesticides except for ants because my husband and I both highly allergic to them and could go into anaphylactic shock. Bees, butterflys, moths, caterpillars are great polinaters so I leave them alone. Spiders eat mosquitos so I leave them except it they get in the house. A bird might eat a silk worm or other caterpillar if it were not killed or harvested. That is part of nature.

So I say use what you like unless it is proven that harvesting silk worms is not sustainable practice. Even if they morph into a moth they are still going to die.

[zed]

Not everyone kills insects. I don't think it's legal here to kill a swarm of bees, you contact the police who should have a list of local beekeepers who will come and remove them.

I would never kill a mouse and I don't use pesticides.

That's just small scale though. We exploit animals for our interests, for wool/animal fibre it is mostly done humanely. Choosing ethical products where animals aren't harmed isn't like swatting at flies.

Most silk is farmed, mass produced, but the silkworms die, they are born to make silk and die, and not everyone agrees with that, so choose a more animal friendly option.

[Shepherdess]

I agree, you make your choices according to your own conscience and beliefs. I think you should do research if possible to make and educated choice so hopefully you are not being misled or manipulated. I personally think the peace silk people are just doing marketing, because they have no problem using cochineal. To me it is hypocritical to say it's ok to kill one insect to use it and not another insect to use it.

[Leonor (of Eleanor Shadow)]

I agree with Zed - I would never kill a mouse/rat and whenever a spider comes to my home, if they're quite large, I'll catch and release them outdoors (to the great relief of my other half). Although I can't claim to never, ever kill an insect, I will try my best not to and I don't really want to sponsor an industry that creates little creatures only to die - it might be a whole different thing if they were, indeed, used to feed other animals in the food chain, but again, farming is a concept I have trouble with...

I was really happy so see that bamboo looks really nice in wool, and mimics silk very well I'd love to try some cocoons because I saw some in an art yarn and found them amazing, but if I'm not comfortable with the way I got them, I prefer not to get any. It's not something I need to live, after all!

Thanks for all the input, ladies, this is food for thought indeed

[Shepherdess]

I agree there are lots of other fibers that look almost identical so best to be happy with your choice.

[koffipot]

Bamboo is great and often gives a better lustre than silk.

[zed]

I think bamboo is shinier than silk, viscose isn't quite as shiny as bamboo, but is probably half the price of bamboo.
Soya Top is one of my favourites.

[Leonor (of Eleanor Shadow)]

Bamboo will definitely be on my replacements list! Zed, I don't believe I've ever tried soya tops, does it dye as animal fibres?

[Shepherdess]

No you have to use fiber reactive dye with both bamboo and soya. Silk is the only one that works with both. But they are not hard to use and need no heat. The bonus is you can use fiber reactive dye as acid dye by using as if it were acid dye. Unfortunately it doesn't work the other way.