Dalat Day Trip - Part 3

Part 3 - Silk worms, cocoons and silk making...

This is the most wonderful thing I've ever seen! I had no idea that this is how it was done! 

These are all cocoons filled with larvae!

Snow white cocoons by the billions!

The silk factory! This type of machinery ad silk making has been around for over a hundred years. 

This lady is is taking thread from cocoons that have 2 larvae inside, therefore there are two threads of silk. 

Once all the silk is unwrapped from the cocoon, she put them in another basket. Before they start taking the threads, the larvae and cocoons are boiled. 

The larvae once de-cocooned. 

These ladies are doing the single thread, each of these reels consist of 10-15 threads of single cocoon thread to make it slightly stronger and thicker. 

The cocoon bob around in the water while they unravel. 

Each lady does about 3 baskets of cocoons every day!

Empty cocoon racks!

This lady is securing the strands together so that they can spin dry. 

Close up of the threads.

That's how big the baskets of cocoons are.

The machinery. This stuff is over 100 years old and the only factory in the area still using it. 

Dry threads reading for spinning!

The patterns used to make the silk. 

 Silk...silk....silk...its too beautiful.

The final product. 

Finally they dye it. 

And there it is...

The most stunning stunning silk scarves...

This lady is sewing a silk painting...it can take up to 6 months to complete...

Watch this woman's hands as she ties the silk...Amazing!