Soft, airy mawata becomes thread little by little through the work of the fingertips.
Mawata is soft and airy, much like cotton in appearance.
By drawing out the fibres little by little and joining them with twist, it becomes thread.
At yamamayu, making hand-spun mawata thread is an essential part of our cloth-making.
Rather than making every strand perfectly even, we leave a gentle irregularity in the thread as it moves towards cloth.
Preparing the mawata
The cocoons are softened in hot water, the pupae are removed, and the layers are opened and dried to make mawata.
Gently stretching the mawata with the pads of the fingers prepares it for spinning.
This preparation is easy to overlook, but it is an important part of the work.
Handling the fibres without force here helps preserve the softness of the thread that follows.
Spinning by hand
First, we gently arrange the mawata and draw out the fibres little by little from the centre with our fingertips.
The amount of fibre drawn out at one time determines the thickness of the thread.
Next, we hold the end of the thread in one hand and gently twist and draw out the fibres with the other.
The twist brings the loose fibres together and gives the thread strength.
Once the thread reaches a comfortable length, we wind it onto a spinning stick or tube.
What matters is not perfect uniformity, but joining the fibres with a natural, steady tension.
Using a spinning stick
From Mawata to Thread | Spinning by Hand
With a spinning stick, the thread gradually takes shape through the repeated movements of twisting and winding.
Without rushing: draw out, twist, and join again. Mawata thread is born through this repetition.
The tools, and why mawata becomes thread
The work does not require many tools.
A spinning stick or paper tube, and when needed, a spindle or spinning wheel.
But even with the fingertips alone, mawata can begin to become thread.
Mawata can be made into thread because it is formed from layers of very long silk fibres.
Unlike shorter fibres such as cotton, they join readily as they are drawn out, and a light twist gives the thread strength.
The long fibres also intertwine like a fine web, holding air in the spaces between them. This gives the thread its lightness, softness and warmth.
While spinning
Draw the fibres out little by little and as evenly as possible.
Keep them from becoming too dry.
Do not pull too hard; allow the softness to remain.
And accept the small irregularities as part of the thread’s character.
No two lengths of hand-spun mawata thread are exactly alike.
Yet we feel that these subtle differences give the finished cloth depth and a sense of breath.
From thread to cloth
Thread made from mawata moves gradually towards cloth through dyeing, preparing the warp, and weaving.
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