Tuesday, May 16, 7pm Karen Selk will give a talk “In Search of Wild Silk”.
Wild silk is much more than the miraculous journey of metamorphosis from caterpillar to silken luxury. It is tightly woven to an ancient living culture raising tasar, muga and eri silkworms in remote forests of central and eastern India. Raising wild silkworms, reeling cocoons, spinning fiber and weaving silk cloth provides sustainable work, while protecting the environment, and supporting communities. Photos and stories captured from weavers, spinners, and silkworm farmers over thirty years of research will transport you into their homes and villages to witness the love and dedication involved in each part of the process from soil to cloth.
The May meeting will be the Ruth Anstey lecture and challenge. The challenge will be to create something that contains silk, this could be a skein, a knitted or crocheted item, a woven item or a felted piece or anything your imagination can create. Be sure to describe/ point out the silk including what kind it is, whether it’s handspun, perhaps how long it’s been in your stash, and any other interesting facts about it.