The best book on silk that I know is A Silk Worker's Notebook by Cheryl Kolander. It covers just about everything about silk - its history, production, spinning, weaving, embroidery - you name it! And it's eminently readable, wiith many drawings and illustrations.

It was published and re-published by Interweave Press, and may be out of print, but I checked at www.amazon.com and it's available both new and used quite cheap.

Marina

I'm new to this forum but not to spinning and weaving. If you have facilities available to your group, dyeing the silk caps is a great small workshop. The colors are spectacular! And easy to spin with beautiful results.

We have steamed the cocoons to open them and then laid them out to dry into the caps. One of our members took a workshop at Midwest one year and then presented it to us. It was wonderful.

I'm not having much luck navigating this forum. I would like to see if there have been any discussions on liturgical garments and hear others experiences and projects. Can you help me?

Ronir2

As far as I know, there hasn't been any recent discussion about liturgical weaving. We did have a couple of weavers discuss weaving a tallit (prayer shawl).

There is a book out on the subject: Weaving for Worship: Handweaving for Churches and Synagogues, by Joyce Harter anad Lucy Brusic. It's a pretty expensive book, but you might be able to get it through Interlibrary Loan.

I wonder if anybody in this forum has done any weaving for liturgical garments or linens? Ronir, what in particular are you interested in? We might get a ball rolling here.

Marina

Roni, I saw your posts on one of the lists, and people suggesting fine yarns for the stole. IMHO, a stole can be woven of any weight yarn. Each will have a different look. A fine silk or tencel stole will have a delicate look, a stole woven with heavier perle cotton will have a more textured, more rugged look that can be equaly wonderful. Joyce's book should be a big help to you. I haven't seen the book, but I know Joyce and have seen many of her beautiful liturgical weavings in a slide show lecture she gave several years ago.

What weave structure were you planning to use? What color? There are the symbolic colors of the liturgical year (white, purple, red and green) for church vestments. I'm not sure if there is one color that is suitable for all occasions.

You are right, liturgical textiles are a whole world of wonderful woven articles that can be an inspiration to the weaver, and that doesn't seem to have been explored much by today's weavers.

Let us know how you're doing with your project.

Marina

Sounds like you're on you way, Roni. The colors sound lovely. A simple weave (like plain weave or will) might be best. Keep us updated!

Marina