India’s Silk Heritage — The Ancient Fibres Behind Your Yarn & How Knitsilk Is Making Silk Accessible to Every Artisan 🧵✨
🧵 India has been producing silk for over 5,000 years. Long before European looms existed, Indian artisans were spinning, weaving, and dyeing silk into textiles so extraordinary that they were traded along the Silk Road to Rome, Persia, and China. Today, that same heritage lives in every skein of Knitsilk yarn — and for the first time, it’s genuinely accessible to every crafter and artisan in Europe.
🏛️ India’s Four Great Silk Traditions
India is the world’s second-largest silk producer — and uniquely, it produces all four commercially available types of silk in the world. Each comes from a different silkworm, a different region, and a different centuries-old tradition. Here’s your complete guide.
🐛 1. Mulberry Silk — The Queen of Silks
Origin: Karnataka (Mysore), Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal
Silkworm: Bombyx mori — the domesticated silkworm
Heritage: Over 2,000 years of cultivation in India
Mulberry silk is the most refined, lustrous, and widely produced silk in the world. The Bombyx mori silkworm feeds exclusively on mulberry leaves, producing a cocoon of extraordinarily fine, continuous filament. The result is silk with an unmatched natural sheen, smooth texture, and brilliant white base that takes dye with exceptional vibrancy.
Mysore in Karnataka was declared India’s “Silk City” by the Maharaja of Mysore in the 19th century. The Mysore Silk Factory, established in 1912, still produces some of the finest mulberry silk in the world. When you work with Knitsilk Mulberry silk yarn, you’re holding a thread that connects to over a century of royal craft tradition.
In the Knitsilk range: Mulberry 20/2 Undyed, Maharaja 15/3, Anamika Lace, Sacred White Lace — available in natural undyed and hand-dyed colourways, from laceweight to worsted.
🌿 2. Eri Silk — The Peace Silk
Origin: Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland (Northeast India)
Silkworm: Samia ricini — the castor silkworm
Heritage: Woven into Assamese culture for over 1,000 years
Eri silk is unlike any other silk in the world. The Samia ricini silkworm cannot be reeled in a continuous filament — instead, the cocoon is spun after the moth has emerged naturally, making Eri silk 100% cruelty-free and vegan-friendly. This is why it’s called “Peace Silk” or “Ahimsa Silk” (ahimsa meaning non-violence in Sanskrit).
The resulting fibre is matte, warm, and extraordinarily soft — closer in feel to cashmere than to conventional silk. It’s naturally hypoallergenic, breathable, and temperature-regulating, making it ideal for baby garments and sensitive skin.
As European crafters increasingly seek vegan, cruelty-free, and sustainable luxury fibres, Eri silk is perfectly positioned. It’s the only silk that ticks every ethical box without compromising on quality. Knitsilk’s Eri Silk Laceweight is one of our most requested yarns from EU customers.
In the Knitsilk range: Eri Silk Laceweight 30/3 — natural undyed, perfect for lace knitting, baby garments, and hand dyeing.
🌳 3. Tussah (Tasar) Silk — The Wild Silk
Origin: Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal
Silkworm: Antheraea mylitta — the wild tasar silkworm
Heritage: Tribal weaving traditions dating back thousands of years
Tussah silk is India’s wild silk — produced by silkworms that feed on oak, arjun, and asan trees in India’s forests rather than cultivated mulberry. The result is a silk with a naturally golden-brown colour, coarser texture, and earthy character that mulberry silk cannot replicate.
Tussah has been woven by tribal communities in central and eastern India for millennia — it’s deeply embedded in the cultural identity of Jharkhand and Odisha. The yarn has a natural lustre with visible slubs, giving finished pieces an organic, artisanal quality that European fibre artists adore.
Tussah silk weaving is a GI (Geographical Indication) protected craft in several Indian states. The tribal communities who produce it have maintained their techniques across generations, passing knowledge from mother to daughter in an unbroken chain of craft heritage.
In the Knitsilk range: Tussah Combed 2 Ply Glossy, Tussah Carded 3/4/6 Ply — available in natural golden tones and hand-dyed colourways.
♻️ 4. Recycled Sari Silk — The Upcycled Heritage
Origin: Rajasthan, Gujarat, West Bengal (sari manufacturing hubs)
Source: Offcuts and remnants from India’s sari industry
Heritage: The sari itself has been worn in India for over 5,000 years
Recycled Sari Silk is perhaps the most uniquely Indian yarn in existence. The sari — a single piece of unstitched fabric worn by hundreds of millions of Indian women — is one of the oldest garments in human history. The offcuts from sari production are collected, hand-processed, and spun into yarn that carries the colours, patterns, and history of the saris they came from.
Every skein is different. Every skein tells a story. And every skein is a small act of sustainability — transforming what would be textile waste into something extraordinary.
In the Knitsilk range: Recycled Sari Silk in 10+ colourways — Black, Red, Magenta, Royal Blue, Ocean of Green, Yellow, Pink, Natural, and more.
📊 India’s Four Silks — At a Glance
| Silk Type | Character | Vegan? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mulberry | Lustrous, smooth, fine | ⚠️ No | Lace, shawls, dyeing |
| Eri (Peace Silk) | Matte, warm, cashmere-soft | ✅ Yes | Baby items, lace, sensitive skin |
| Tussah (Wild) | Golden, earthy, textured slubs | ⚠️ No | Weaving, wall art, fibre art |
| Recycled Sari | Vibrant, varied, upcycled | ✅ Yes | Jewellery, bags, mixed media |
🌟 How Knitsilk Is Making Silk Accessible to Every Artisan
For most of history, silk was the preserve of royalty, the wealthy, and the elite. The Silk Road existed precisely because silk was so rare and valuable that it was used as currency. Even today, many European crafters assume silk yarn is out of reach — too expensive, too delicate, too specialist.
Knitsilk exists to change that.
We work directly with artisan spinning communities in India — no middlemen, no import markups. The savings go directly to you.
Shipped from Luxembourg — no customs duties, no import delays, no surprise charges for EU customers.
No minimum orders. Buy a single skein to try. Sample before you commit. Silk should be accessible to all.
Our Silk Education Series, starter kits, and guides help new silk crafters get started with confidence.
🧶 Start Your Silk Journey — The Discovery Kit
Not sure which silk is right for you? The Knitsilk Silk Discovery Starter Kit includes samples of multiple silk types — so you can feel the difference between Mulberry, Eri, Tussah, and Recycled Sari silk before committing to a full project. It’s the best introduction to India’s silk heritage that exists in yarn form.
5,000 years of silk tradition. Four extraordinary fibre types. One artisan community in India. And now, shipped directly to your craft studio across Europe. This is what Knitsilk is about.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I had no idea there were so many types of Indian silk until I found Knitsilk. The Eri silk is unlike anything I’ve ever worked with — so soft, so ethical. I’m completely converted."
— Astrid L., Stockholm, Sweden
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "The Mulberry 20/2 is the finest yarn I’ve ever used. I always assumed silk was out of my budget — Knitsilk proved me completely wrong. Shipped to France in 3 days!"
— Céline M., Lyon, France
📌 Part 1: How to Check the Purity of Silk
📌 Part 2: How to Store Your Silk Yarns Properly
📌 Part 3: What to Make Out of Silk Yarns
📌 Part 4: Silk vs Other Yarns — The Ultimate Fibre Comparison
Knitsilk Europe — Premium Silk Yarns, Ribbons & Fibres. Crafting Luxury, one stitch at a time.