Silkworm challenge.

Silkworm eggs....Yeah...exciting stuff.

Instead of the ten day, ten album challenge to see what ten albums have shaped my taste in music I will take the silkworm challenge.

Eggs to thread and perhaps to textile.

Plenty of comments.

I have these Utamaro woodblock prints on the wall on the third floor near the far guest rooms. No one ever sees them. They are a series on silk processes. (Yes, they are originals.) 

No, the silk farming beauties did not wear such gorgeous work kimono.

In this picture you can see the beauties with two silk moths with their legs tied to threads so they can’t fly away. This is where the eggs come from.
One moth lays 500 eggs. 800 grams of silk to make a kimono without a lining. Basically 5 moths worth of silk. A full kimono with lining and sash and coat would require 10 000 silkworms. 20 moths worth of eggs. 

Let’s start here. 

First the highest quality cocoons are chosen. Then the best chrysalis are chosen and the males and females are separated. 

Once the moths emerge the long process of introductions is started. A complex logarithm of ancient Chinese astrological significance and individual current political tendencies are taken into consideration as well as countless hours spent with the individual moths flicking left and right through the Silkter, (the silk moth equivalent of TInder/Grindr.) 

I didn’t breed for eggs last year. I bought these 1000 eggs online. 

Finding tiny face masks for moths and taking responsibility for their Covid-19 protection was too much responsibility. The male moths were swiping way out of their league and the females were way way too picky. I have better things to do with my time than deal with that vanity. 

These pictures are from a few years ago. 

The eggs are due to hatch tomorrow.

The wooden machine below is a warping wheel. 

The black box in the picture is important. The eggs are placed inside and the lid opened and closed several times a day to condense time so the eggs will be tricked into hatching on a certain day.

Utamaru's signature. Absolute calligraphic perfection. 

1000 silkworm eggs.

Males on left. Females on right. Magnifying glass used to determine sex. Dish of shed silkworm skins.

Males are smaller.

I put cones on the females so they will lay eggs in a circle. Easy to count.