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.
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| 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.
