On an Eri silk worm farm in the Northeast of Thailand, the raw material for this wonderful silk yarn is harvested in a totally cruelty-free way: The cocons of the Eri silkworm, which is a different breed than the mulberry silk worm. It lives for example on Maniok plants and spins a different kind of cocon. The worm "eats his way out of the cocon" and flies away before the kokon is harvested by hand and then cooked to gain the precious thread. In the case of mulberry silk, the cocons are cooked with the silk worms inside in order to obtain an endless thread. As far as our research shows, we are the only brand that offers this precious and eco-friendly yarn for the hand-knitting industry.
Eri silk has a subtle shimmer but is not as shiny as mulberry silk, because the thread is not endless, but just as heavy and therefore nicely drapy. It has a „dryer" look and feel, more resembling a bourette silk, although Jaipur Peace Silk is more evenly spun and is much more stable than for example our bourette silk Soft Silk. Jaipur Peace Silk has the same gauge as our good old friend Jaipur Silk Fino, so all patterns for that yarn can easily be used for this animal-friendly new silk alternative.
Try it for super drapey shawls and scarves!
Note: The typical fiber properties of silk mean it is not elastic and has a tendency to grow after washing. So please take this into consideration when swatching. It may lengthen by about 10%.
Also: Silk absorbs a lot of dye stuff. Some bleeding of darker colors is unavoidable. Please rinse in vinegar water until clear before mixing with light colors or wearing on a white blouse.
There may be excess dye in some of the colors. We recommend to rinse the yarn in cold water before use; finish with a rinse of water added a little vinegar. Always wash in cold water. To preserve the shiny surface of the mulberry silk, Jaipur Silk Fino must be washed by hand, use a neutral shampoo and finish with a rinse of water added a little vinegar.