Our sett chart and following information are just starting points. One must weave a sample to ensure the finished cloth will be perfect for the intended use. Treat your silk yarn with sensitivity and the results will make you proud.

We hope you find the following information about each Treenway silk yarn helpful.

We are carrying the new and improved Silk Spinner Hand Scrub. Now more emollient with cocoa butter and carrot tissue oil, it works wonders for smoothing your hands for working with silk.

Silk Spinner contains only natural ingredients: sugar, pure olive oil, cocoa butter, meadowfoam oil, carrot tissue oil, hand made silk soap and fragrance.

Hand made here on Salt Spring Island by dermalove.

5.5oz – $12.00 ($11.50 US)

 

Click here for our sett chart (opens in a new window)

 

SPUN YARN

Spun yarn is easy to work with and not as slippery as reeled yarn. Care should be taken when winding from the skein. An empty toilet paper tube placed on the arm of the ball winder will keep the silk yarns tidy if they slip off the ball while winding. Better still, wind the warp or shuttle directly from the skein placed on a yarn holder (swift). It is best to clamp the swift sideways rather than straight up. Investing in a couple of swifts and bypassing the ball stage saves time and tangle no matter what type of silk yarn you are working with. The yarn should be handled as little as possible while dressing the loom to prevent fluffing and pilling. Investigate 'minimal handling' methods of warping.

All our spun yarns are gassed. This is a finishing process of running the spun yarn through a series of spikes which creates static. This pulls any lose fibres or debris to the surface. The yarn continues through a hot flame at very high speed to singe off the fluff produced during the spinning process, which helps prevent pilling.

20/10

We designed this yarn specifically for our knitters. It is creamy soft with an interesting 'cord' look. It combines nicely with other exotic yarns like cashmere, merino and chenille for luscious throws.

20/6

We designed this yarn for plush blankets. Our factory took 3 strands of 20/2 spun silk yarn and plied them together. The result is an interesting 'cable' look which is creamy soft to the touch. It combines nicely with other exotic yarns like cashmere, merino and chenille for really special throws, just right to snuggle under with a good book.

12/2

A medium, soft twist gives any cloth woven with this yarn a supple hand. It has the creamy, warm lustre of all our spun silks. It blends nicely with many other yarns; 8/2, fine cord, 10/2 noil, 20/2, etc. to make beautiful scarves, shawls and other apparel.

20/2

This is the most consistent work horse for ourselves as well as the majority of our customers. The yarn is supple with a medium twist, easy to work with and a perfect weight for clothing. We suggest this yarn most often to fledgling silk weavers. It combines easily with all our other yarns. We have 20/2 available in all 100 of our hand-dyed colours and wound into 10 yard mini skeins for accents, tapestry, stitching, kumihimo and power sampling.

20/2 on cones

We asked for a tighter twist on our usual 20/2 and had it put up on cones. Now there is a choice. There will be less pilling with this tighter twist, but the cloth will not be as supple as if woven with the 20/2 in skeins. It makes beautiful clothing and mixes well with all our other yarns.

30/2

This yarn shares in popularity with 20/2 for our customers and ourselves. It has all the same characteristics of the 20/2 except it is finer. It combines most perfectly with our blends: silk/ramie, silk/cotton, silk/wool, silk/cashmere, as well as 120/8 tussah, chenille and eyelash for fine clothing.

60/2

A firm twist gives a surprising strength to this fine yarn, which makes a beautiful cloth for garments. Most people are a bit apprehensive until they start to work with it and then we get phone calls of glee telling us what a delight the yarn was to work with.

120/2

This fine yarn is extremely strong for its weight. The most likely time for it to break is when it catches while unwinding from the skein. Take care not to jerk it while winding. Placing the skein holder (swift) sideways rather than straight up works best. The back to front process makes for smoother warping for most fine threads. This yarn makes excellent fine weight fabrics.

REELED OR FILAMENT YARN

Reeled yarn is extremely slippery and requires some special handling. A ball winder should not be used with reeled silks. The yarn will slip off, making a tangled mess. Wind the balls by hand, or better still, wind your warp and shuttle directly from the skein placed on a yarn holder (swift). It is best to clamp the swift side ways rather than straight up. Investing in a couple of swifts and bypassing the ball stage saves time and tangle no matter what type of silk yarn you are working with.

Combining any of the reeled yarns with any of the spun or noil silks adds a sense of intrigue to the cloth due to the subtle difference in texture and sheen.

#0

Our heaviest filament yarn is extremely lustrous, soft and 'scrunchy'. Use this yarn as an accent with finer threads. It bubbles and gives the appearance of a boucle yarn. It is very slippery, so care should be taken when winding the yarn from the skein. It is a popular yarn with knitters.

8/2

A looser twist offers optimum sheen. It is very slippery, so care should be taken when winding the yarn from the skein. The cloth made with these yarns looks and feels luxuriant. It adds a touch of class when combined with any other yarn. We have woven it in combination with: chenille, 12/2, 30/3, alpaca, qiviut, 120/8 tussah and 20/2. This is one of the yarns we have wound into dyed 10 yard mini skeins for accents, tapestry, kumihimo and sampling.

Medium Cord

This three-ply firmly twisted yarn is smooth and supple. The twist is not 'hard' so it is excellent for clothing, alter cloths, tablet weaving, kumihimo or anything else that requires a firmer hand with minimal wear from abrasion. The textural difference of this yarn adds subtle interest to cloth when it is combined with 12/2, 10/2 noil, etc.

Fine Cord

This is the tightest twist yarn we have and an excellent choice for structures with a float, tablet weaving, kumihimo or anything that requires a firmer hand. Its high texture and crisp sheen creates an intriguing contrast in a cloth when mixed with silk/wool, 20/2, 20/2 noil, silk/cotton, etc. We wind this yarn in hand-dyed, 10 yd mini skeins for accents, tapestries, kumihimo, stitching and sampling.

2P

Our factory helped us design this gorgeous yarn for those occasions when whiteness and sheen are required in a finer weight. The yarn twist is not too tight and not too loose. It is slippery like all reeled yarn, so care must be taken when winding the yarn from the skein. 2P works well on its own and mixes beautifully with many others like: 20/2, chenille, 8/2, 20/2 noil, 28/2 silk/cashmere and eyelash to make stunning cloth for clothing.

NOVELTY YARN

Bouclé

Our bouclé is a spun yarn with a lustrous firm finish. A fancy yarn of any type yields more of an effect if used less rather than more. The character of the yarn is really noticed when combined with smoother yarns. It combines well with our reeled fine cord and 8/2, spun 20/2 and 30/2, and 120/8 tussah. The sett is dependent on the other yarns used in the cloth. Use this yarn to add texture and variety to the cloth like a strand of fresh water pearls.

 

Chenille

We worked closely with our Chinese supplier to design this elegant yarn. It is much lighter weight than rayon chenille with a deep warmth in feel and look. The woven cloth is cuddly and plush, yet refined. We prefer the feel of cloth with another silk in the warp direction and the chenille used only in the weft direction. Cloth woven or knit with chenille is perfect for shirts, vests, dresses and scarves. Most of our other yarns make suitable warps. The different weights produce heavier and finer cloth. We have used the 8/2, 20/2, 12/2 and 30/2 very successfully as warp.

Eyelash

Oooh!! I want this next to my skin, is the reaction of most people upon feeling the cloth woven or knit with the extraordinary yarn. It looks like an eyelash with the smooth binding thread on one edge and the 3/8" long, free "lashes" on the other edge. It is for weft only. The eyelashes do not "pop out" in the warp, only the weft. It looks and feels great woven one shot after another or with shots of another silk in between. Our finer yarns: 20/2, 30/2, the blends and 120/8 tussah make a great warp as well as fill in weft. Eyelash cloth is wonderful for jackets, dresses and tops.

WILD SILK

120/8 Tussah

A wild silkworm produces this yarn with a natural colour of amber, honey-beige. The yarn is made by plying four strands of 120/2 giving an interesting, slightly corded look and slightly firmer hand. It combines nicely with our 30/2 silk, chenille, silk/wool, silk/cashmere, 2P and silk/ramie for clothing. The unique colouring blends subtly with the Bombyx naturals to make a sophisticated cloth.

20/2 Muga

Muga is the common name of the caterpillar Antherea assama. It is a cousin to the Tussah caterpillar and produces a special golden colour silk when reeled from the cocoon. As a spun yarn it is a golden honey colour. Muga is special because the eco-system provided by the Brahmaputra River valley in India is the only place that provides the perfect conditions for its growth. Muga sericulture was encouraged by the ancient royalty of Assam but hit serious decline with the clearing of forests to make way for tea plantations. The Assamese struggle to continue raising Muga silk as it is woven into the fabric of their tradtiions, culture and economy. The yarn is handmade so expect those wonderful irregularities of a handmade yarn.

NOIL YARN

20/2 Noil

The hide and seek play between the matte noil and shininess of the higher quality silks lend an interesting coyness to a cloth. This yarn mixes nicely with our 20/2, 2P and fine cord for a comfy garment.

10/1 Noil

We suggest it is best used as a weft yarn. The short fibres make it a bit fragile for warp. Its matte quality lends interest in a cloth combined with other yarns. It combines well with our 20/2 and 2P.

10/2 Noil

Noil silk is characteristically textured with a matte look. The hide and seek between dull and lustrous threads adds a sense of playfulness to cloth. This yarn mixes nicely with our 12/2, 8/2 and medium cord for heavier weight clothing like vests and jackets.

DYED SILK YARNS

Colours appear different on the various qualities of 100% silk yarn. Each of the qualities: reeled, spun, noil and tussah has varying levels of sheen. The colour difference is actually due to the reflective nature of each of the yarns. To illustrate this variance we put all of these in the same dye pot, JY #20.

SILK BLENDS

Silk/Yak – 55%/45%

This exotic blend has a natural brown/grey colour reminiscent of a wild animal. The hand is soft yet with substance. The first time we saw a yak in Bhutan, we were amazed at how short they were. They are very shaggy like Highland cattle and sturdily built for grazing in the Himalayan Mountains. It is the soft underbelly fur that is used in our blend.

Woven with itself, the silk/yak gives a nice light jacket or skirt weight fabric in a timeless, sophisticated natural colour. Combined with our 28/2 silk/cashmere it is as light and soft as goose down feathers with a light colouring to suit the hand of the fabric. The mixture of the silk/yak with our 60/4 silk wool blend yields another light jacket or skirt weight fabric.

Using black 30/2 silk as the weft results in a fabric for a sophisticated man's scarf. Combined with our other new blend of silk/camel, the hand is nice for clothing and has a colour that hums a quiet elegance.

We used a sett of 36 epi for a twill weave for all the above combinations.

Silk/Camel – 55%/45%

This yarn has a naturally warm camel beige colour with a soft hand. It is almost unbelievable that such a softness can be yielded from the camel.

We crossed a silk/camel warp with: silk/camel for a sumptuous fabric; 120/8 tussah silk for a soft and lovely colour and a firm hand due to the 4 plies of the tussah yarn; 28/2 silk/cashmere for a soft and drapey cloth; 30/2 silk for a beautiful clothing fabric; and 32/2 silk/yak for an elegant cloth for fabric.

All combinations were done in twill weave at 36epi.

Silk/Ramie – 55%/45%

Ramie is a bast fibre, which is stripped from the stalk of plants in the nettle family. The ramie adds just a touch of body to the silk, yet the silk retains its sheen. This is a wonderful blend that provides a really nice hand to the cloth. It combines nicely with our 30/2 silk, 120/8 tussah, 60/4 silk/wool and 60/4 silk/cotton for clothing that requires some firmness. We dye it the same 100 colour palette as our silks. The protein/cellulose fibre combination gives a somewhat muted, heather effect.

Silk/Wool – 60%/40%

This blend possesses the best qualities of both fibres. The wool adds a buttery feeling to the cloth. A subtle sheen and just right twist make this a perfect yarn for clothing and furnishings. It mixes nicely with our 30/2 silk, 60/4 silk ramie, 60/4 silk/cotton, silk/cashmere, silk/yak, silk/camel, silk/angora, 120/8 tussah and eyelash. We dye it in the same 100 colour palette as our silk.

Silk/Cashmere – 80%/20%

The percentage of cashmere is small but its downy softness gives this yarn a smooth creamy hand with a warm lustre. The twist suits the blend, it is not too tight and not really loose either, it is just perfect. Alone or mixed with our finer yarns like 30/2, 60/4 silk/wool, silk/tak, silk/camel, silk/angora or 120/8 tussah it is an excellent weight for clothing with a good drape and lovely hand. We dye it in our range of 100 hues. The colours are barely lighter than those on our shade card of 100% silk.

Silk/Cotton – 55%/45%

The blend of cotton yields a soft, smooth yarn. It has a soft twist and cool quality. It is a perfect weight for clothing with a good drape and softer to the touch than expected. It combines beautifully with our 30/2 silk, silk/ramie, silk/wool, 120/2 tussah and eyelash. We dye it the same 100 colour palette as our silks. The protein/cellulose fibre combination gives a somewhat muted heather colour.

DYED BLEND YARNS

We use the same dye to tint our blends as we do our 100% silk yarns. Some of our blends are all protein yarns and some are a mixture of vegetable and protein. The dye adheres to all of these in varying degrees. We put all of our blends into the same dye pot, colour #20 Bordello, to illustrate how differently the same dye looks on the various yarns.