SILK RESEARCH INSTITUTE, SUZHOU

According to Chinese legend, Lady Hsi-Ling-Shih, wife of the mythical Yellow Emperor, initiated silkworm rearing.   Initially, silk was a royal luxury, reserved exclusively for the ruler.  Only the Emperor, his close relations and his highest ranking dignitaries were authorized for the use of silk.  The secret of making silk remained in China for 2,000 years.  Imperial law decreed death by torture to any who disclosed the process.

"The production of silk (sericulture) is largely automated and done in factories but the raising of silk worms is still a 'cottage industry' done primarily at people's homes. In some cases, the government provides anyone who is willing to raise silkworms with 20 kilograms of very small silkworm grubs.  These are placed in special boxes in special rooms and fed mulberry leaves."  Incidentally, silkworms are not worms but caterpillars, the larvae of moths.
The silkworm creates its cocoon out of a single thread that is continuous for approximately 3600 feet. Workers attach the threads to machines that spin silk threads into skeins.

Two or three thousand cocoons yield a pound of silk cloth. It takes 110 cocoons to make a tie, 630 for a blouse, 900 for a shirt, 1,700 for dress and 3000 for a heavy silk kimono.