This group of fires combine both very long and short fibres. The silk has not been cut; degummed cocoons have simply been opened out either by hand or machine. The fibres have been through very little processing and retain a magical natural sparkle rather than the high lustre of the combed silk tops. Because the fibres have never been cut and because silk filaments are naturally very long and strong these fibres can be used in ways not possible with the shorter fibres. They can be used for sculpture in their natural forms; peeled into finer layers for 'paper' or on the surface of felt; stretched into long lengths to be knitted, twisted or woven; and in many other imaginative and traditional ways. An awareness of the length and strength of the fibres makes it easier to work with these wonderful fibres.

Natural sparkle and texture

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