From egg to silkworm.
Feeding on mulberry leaves, growing, and eventually spinning a cocoon.
At yamamayu, we raise silkworms ourselves, working closely with the materials that lead from cocoon to thread, and eventually to cloth.
Feeding them mulberry leaves. Watching them grow.
Noticing each small change and sharing the time until they begin to spin their cocoons.
Here, we keep notes from each season of raising silkworms.
From Egg to Hatching
The silkworm’s time begins inside a tiny egg.
These notes follow the eggs from their care through to hatching.
The Growth of the Larvae
After hatching, the silkworms feed on mulberry leaves and shed their skin several times, changing greatly within a short span of time.
Spinning a Cocoon
Once the silkworm has finished feeding on mulberry leaves, it begins to spin.
This is the time from being placed on the cocooning frame until its form disappears within the cocoon.
Beyond the Cocoon
After the cocoon is formed, the material takes new forms as mawata and thread, and eventually becomes cloth.
About Domestic Silkworms
The life cycle of the domestic silkworm and the way silk forms within its body are introduced on our introductory page.