Spider Silk Cloth?

Without a doubt, this is the only moment in history where I've been positively impressed by the likes of a spider. Horrible creatures usually. But my spidey senses couldn't help but tingle when I saw the radiating image of this beautiful saffron coloured cloth.... woven entirely from spider silk.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/09/spider-silk/

Now, I hate spiders with every fibre in my being but for some unknowing reason (okay kind of knowing - it's shiny and can be worn),  I can't help but wish I had one to call my own. Unfortunately that won't be happening any time soon, as this scarf claims to be the first cloth made from spider silk that's been around since the early 1900s. The four meter long scarf has taken four years to weave, with a total of five years searching Madagascar's highlands for over a million female golden orb spiders to harvest their silk. As the name suggests, the golden orb spiders that are 'silked' for this textile, release a golden coloured thread that, in proportion with size, is six times stronger than steal. Meaning it's rather strong. Not only this but weaving requires an average of 2300 spiders in order to make an ounce of silk, making this a very special commodity indeed.

Now the first thought that came to mind when I saw this was "exactly HOW does one collect silk from a spider?" No amount of money could lure me into this business. Too many legs and too many eyes thank you very much. That's just an unfair advantage not to be trusted. The golden orb spiders are collected in the morning, where they are taken to workshops and are harnessed into a contraption in sets of 24 so that they can be 'silked' for their golden thread before being released back into the wild the same evening. So I guess they won't have PETA on their backs about animal cruelty if they're released, right? That's as much kindness as any arachnid deserves.

Despite the fact that the scarf is woven purely from the silk of the creatures I detest most in the world, there is an undeniable beauty here through the sheer time, skill and labour required to make the material. The scarf will be on display at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London from the 25th of January 2012 for those wanting to bathe in the reflection of it's excellence. 

Further reads:

Vogue

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