Textiles and Clothing | Page 8

the figure eight, the silk worm
throws this thread around the body from head to tail until at last it is
entirely enveloped. The body grows smaller and the thread grows finer
until at last it has spun out most of the substance of the body and the
task is done.
If left to itself, when the time came, the moth would eat its way out of
the cocoon and ruin the fiber. A few of the best cocoons are saved for a
new supply of caterpillars; the remainder are baked at a low heat which
destroys the worm but preserves the silk. This now becomes the cocoon
of commerce.
[Sidenote: Reeling Silk]
Next the cocoons go to the reelers who wind the filaments into the silk
yarn that makes the raw material of our mills. The cocoons are thrown
into warm water mixed with soap in order to dissolve the gum. The
outer or coarser covering is brushed off down to the real silk and the
end of the thread found. Four or five cocoons are wound together, the
sticky fibers clinging to each other as they pass through the various
guides and are wound as a single thread on the reels. The silk is dried
and tied into hanks or skeins. As the thread unwinds from the cocoon, it
becomes smaller, so other threads must be added.
[Illustration: SILK:--CATERPILLAR, COCOON, CHRYSALIS,
MOTH]

[Sidenote: Organize and Tram]
At the mill the raw silk goes to the "throwster" who twists the silk
threads ready for the loom. These threads are of two kinds--"organize"
or warp and "tram" or filling. The warp runs the long way of woven
fabric or parallel with the selvage and it must be strong, elastic, and not
easily parted by rubbing. To prepare the warp, two threads of raw silk
are slightly twisted. Twist is always put into yarn of any kind to
increase its strength. These threads are united and twisted together and
this makes a strong thread capable of withstanding any reasonable
strain in the loom and it will not roughen. For the woof or tram which
is carried across the woven cloth on the shuttle, the thread should be as
loose and fluffy as possible. Several threads are put together, subjected
to only a very slight twist--just enough to hold the threads together so
they will lie evenly in the finished fabric.
[Sidenote: Boiling Off]
After the yarn leaves the spinners it is again run off on reels to be taken
to the dye house. First the yarn is boiled off in soapy water to remove
the remaining gum. Now the silk takes on its luster. Before it was dull
like cotton. The silk is now finer and harder and is known as "souple."
[Sidenote: Loading Silk]
The silk fiber has a remarkable property of absorbing certain metallic
salts, still retaining much of its luster. This process is known as
"loading" or "weighting," and gives increased body and weight to the
silk. Silk without weighting is known as "pure dye," of which there is
little made, as such goods take too much silk.
[Illustration: REELING SILK]
For the weighting of white or light colored silk goods, tin crystals
(stanous chloride) are used and for dark shades and black, iron salts and
tannin. By this means the original weight of the fiber may be increased
three or four hundred per cent. This result is not attained, however,
except through the weakening of the fiber.

[Sidenote: Action of Common Salt]
Common salt has a very curious action on weighted silk. It slowly
weakens the fiber. A silk dress may be ruined by being splashed with
salt water at the seashore. Most often holes appear after a dress comes
back from the cleaners; these he may not be to blame for, as salt is
abundant in nearly all the bodily secretions,--tears, perspiration, urine.
[Sidenote: Artificial Silk]
Artificial silk is made by dissolving cellulose obtained from cotton. It is
lacking in strength and water spoils all kinds manufactured at present.
[Sidenote: Characteristics of Silk]
Silk, like wool, has the property of absorbing considerable moisture
without becoming perceptibly damp. Like wool and all the animal
fibers, it is harmed by alkalis. The important physical properties of silk
are its beautiful luster, strength, elasticity and the readiness with which
it takes dyes. Silk combines well with other fibers, animal and
vegetable.
[Sidenote: Value of Raw Fibers]
A comparison of the relative value of textile fibers may be seen from
the following approximate prices:
Cotton--$.07 to $.14 per pound; loss in cleaning and bleaching 5 per
cent.
Flax--$.12 to $.30 per pound; loss in cleaning and bleaching about 20
per cent.
Wool--$.15 to $.30 per pound; loss in scouring 20 to 60 per cent.
Raw Silk--$7.00 to $10.00 per pound; loss in