Five Fanciful Favorites from Silk

The past few weeks we’ve been exploring how to spin and dye silk. So you could say that we’ve had silk on the brain. That got us to thinking about some of our favorite Long Thread posts that showcase silk, and we’ve rounded up a few here for your enjoyment. We hope you’ll be inspired to turn your scrumptious silk yarn into something fabulous!

Mimi Seyferth’s beautiful silk stockings will delight a bride. Photo by George Boe

1. Trousseau Silk Stockings to Knit

Use your luxurious silk yarn to knit these stunning silk stockings featuring a simple lace pattern, inspired by the original maker’s pair that was part of her trousseau in 1944 and are currently in the collection of the Historical and Folk Art Museum in Rethymno, Crete. The pattern can be found in the May/June 2017 issue of PieceWork.

Kimono. Maker unknown. Slub crêpe silk. Circa 1950. Collection of the author. Photo by Joe Coca

2. Silk Fabrics: A Primer

Silk fabrics are incredibly diverse, and this article elaborates on the countless fabrics that have been made from silk throughout the years, from the common damask, taffeta, and organza, to less familiar names like bengaline, foulard, and noil.

Learn the delicate art of silk shading. Photo by Joe Coca

3. Long-and-Short Silk Shading

Silk embroidery is an art practiced by many cultures. Follow this step-by-step tutorial with easy-to-follow photos and learn the basics of silk shading using only three shades of Japanese flat silk embroidery thread.

Corticelli Spool Silk thread box, Corticelli trade card, Corticelli Purse Twist thread. Collection of Loene McIntyre, Fort Collins, Colorado. Photo by Joe Coca

4. Corticelli Silk

Corticelli advertisements claimed that perfection was the company’s only acceptable product. The history of the Corticelli brand of silk yarn is unraveled in this fun historical piece.

Woven scarf by Liz Moncrief. Photo by Matt Graves

5. Marine Silk Scarf

Who wouldn’t love the drape of this simple, flowy scarf, woven with Marine Silk Lace—a lovely mix of silk, Merino wool, and SeaCell. Though many of you may be familiar with SeaCell, if you’re not, this is a rayon product developed from seaweed. Find the scarf how-to here.

We’d love to see what you’ve been spinning and making with your silk!
Share your photos with us at spinoff@longthreadmedia.com.