# Tussah Silk for Soap & Spinning



## MrsSpaceship (Aug 21, 2015)

I've been wanting to try tussah silk in my soap, but I also spin, so I can kill two birds with one stone at Miss Babs . It's on sale, 2 oz for  $5.25usd. (for the honey)
 I've ordered from this company before and really like the quality and service.


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## IrishLass (Aug 21, 2015)

Thanks Mrs. Spaceship! I just ordered 2 oz. of the Noil silk from them thanks to your link. My stash was getting low and I was recently wondering where to get more. Back when I first started soaping about 10 years ago, I bought a 1-oz. bag of Tussa Noil Silk Fibre from TheScentWorks, and believe it or not, after all these years of putting a pinch of the silk in every batch, I am just _now_ finally down to the end of the bag. lol Sadly, TheScentWorks is no longer in business, so your link saved me from having to search around. 


IrishLass


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## Deedles (Aug 21, 2015)

What does silk add to soap?


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## snappyllama (Aug 21, 2015)

The lather seems more "silky" and the bubbles seem to pop slower (I guess it's the proteins fortifying them).  I swear I'm not being snarky - I just don't know how else to describe it.


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## Deedles (Aug 21, 2015)

Really? Who wudda thunk it?!?! I've got silk roving to spin and I knit with alot of silk but never would have thought you could put it in soap! I don't have any natural color so I guess I better check out Miss Babs...one of my favorite yarn suppliers!

LOL...not snarky at all. I don't think I'd know how to say it either, but I understood you!

OK...so how much do you use? IL said she uses just a pinch. Is that literally? And when do you add it?


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## kchaystack (Aug 22, 2015)

About the size of half  a cotton ball is what I have seen described. You add it to your hot lye water.  Some people strain the solution just in case any fibers don't break down, some don't worry about them


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## Deedles (Aug 22, 2015)

kchaystack said:


> About the size of half  a cotton ball is what I have seen described. You add it to your hot lye water.  Some people strain the solution just in case any fibers don't break down, some don't worry about them



Thanks, K.  I was just visualizing a white or light colored soap with all these beautiful dark silk fibers in it, like confetti. Sorry it doesn't work that way!


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## not_ally (Aug 22, 2015)

Deedles, I add about the size of  pencil eraser (when the silk is tightly rolled) ppo.  I also pull the strands apart, cut them up into teeny bits with sharp scizzors, and then add them to the hot lye water to give them the chance to melt the best.  I bought a couple of different kinds of silk, Tussah and one other (don't remember what, now sorry), and one of them does dissolve better than the other, so if you try silk and have remaining bits it in the lye, it might be either b/c of the type or the source.


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## Deedles (Aug 22, 2015)

not_ally said:


> Deedles, I add about the size of  pencil eraser (when the silk is tightly rolled) ppo.  I also pull the strands apart, cut them up into teeny bits with sharp scizzors, and then add them to the hot lye water to give them the chance to melt the best.  I bought a couple of different kinds of silk, Tussah and one other (don't remember what, now sorry), and one of them does dissolve better than the other, so if you try silk and have remaining bits it in the lye, it might be either b/c of the type or the source.



I think what I have is Tussah silk, I'll have to check. I'm just learning to spin but to be honest, soaping is much more fun!


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## commoncenz (Aug 23, 2015)

Oh YOU people ... always dropping more knowledge on me and making me explore the edges of my comfort zone when it comes to adding "this or that" to my soap. If soaping is an addiction ... consider yourselves either "pushers" or "enablers"!


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## not_ally (Aug 23, 2015)

Patrick, I sort of think of myself as being the "pushee/enabled" here, sorry for the spillover effect!  But it is not a bad addiction to have


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## commoncenz (Aug 23, 2015)

What I'd like to know is who came up with the idea of adding silk to soap and what inspired them to do so? You have to admit that it would seem to be a kind of "random" ingredient.


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## not_ally (Aug 23, 2015)

I think soapers are so weird about wanting to try every single thing in the world that I am sometimes surprised there are not *more* strange and resultingly strangely successful ideas. I love that it spurs creativity and serendipity, which is good for all of us, since soaping is a world in which people seem to be v. good about sharing.


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## MrsSpaceship (Aug 23, 2015)

commoncenz, 
Since we seem to have so many FO HO's here, it stands to reason that there's a few pushers as well. :grin: 



> I think soapers are so weird about wanting to try every single thing in the world that I am sometimes surprised there are not *more* strange and resultingly strangely successful ideas. I love that it spurs creativity and serendipity, which is good for all of us, since soaping is a world in which people seem to be v. good about sharing.



I agree with not_ally here, it seems that if you can eat it or wear it, someone has tried to put it in soap (to varied results).  It's just a matter of discerning what is more for label value than actual result (24 karat gold soap anyone?).


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## not_ally (Aug 23, 2015)

Mrs. S, I am 100% sure someone has done that, and tried to sell it at some crazy amount per oz.  I am thinking the next frontier is some kind of magic animal poo that will make all of us younger (or older), taller (or shorter), thinner (or fatter), depending on the need.  Sadly, I will probably surreptitiously order the "taller making" stuff 

B/t/w, I was off the board for several days at one point and saw you had asked about where to get EDTA (sorry to derail, but don't want to forget again.) I know IL responded and her advice is golden, but if for some reasons you would like more options PM me and I will dig up my (Ebay) sources.

ETA: Oops, sorry, you *knew* it (the gold) had been done, I was looking at my keyboard in the sunlight and did not see that your reference was a link.


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## MrsSpaceship (Aug 23, 2015)

You aren't far off in the poop department, nightingale poop is already used for facials in some of the high end Hollywood spas.   I can't wait to get my hands on some so I can use it as a replacement for clay.  (Kidding...I think)

Thanks, I'll go with Lotioncrafters as IL suggested.


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## zolveria (Aug 23, 2015)

I ran out and used natural silk thread worked the same way. I do not add a wad. because i think the bubble factor will be less. I just like the creamy silkiness it imparts and the bubble do sustain. I also use 3 tsp of sugar to my oils. but when i add the silk it cuts them down a bit.


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## zolveria (Aug 23, 2015)

It is true Soaper are Mad Scientist. The other day I opened my cabinet and saw 
coq10 , b12, etc and i stared into space. MY daughter asked are you all right. I said oh yes I was just wondering. LMAO and went off to do research 




not_ally said:


> I think soapers are so weird about wanting to try every single thing in the world that I am sometimes surprised there are not *more* strange and resultingly strangely successful ideas. I love that it spurs creativity and serendipity, which is good for all of us, since soaping is a world in which people seem to be v. good about sharing.


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## not_ally (Aug 23, 2015)

Z, do you mean that adding the silk cuts down the bubbliness of the sugar?  Or just that you add less sugar b/c you don't need it as much w/the silk?  Sorry, your post looked like it meant the first, but I wanted to be sure.


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## Deedles (Aug 24, 2015)

I just got an order from SMR. Imagine my surprise when I found a free grab bag with a bit of Tussah Silk among other things. Talk about a nice coincidence!


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## rparrny (Aug 30, 2015)

not_ally said:


> Mrs. S, I am 100% sure someone has done that, and tried to sell it at some crazy amount per oz.  I am thinking the next frontier is some kind of magic animal poo that will make all of us younger (or older), taller (or shorter), thinner (or fatter), depending on the need.  Sadly, I will probably surreptitiously order the "taller making" stuff


During my training in Chinese medicine my favorite weird ingredient was flying squirrel poop...ya gotta think...who first decided that it would make a good medicine...or did a flying squirrel just fly over the tea water and poop....


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## JayJay (Aug 30, 2015)

rparrny said:


> During my training in Chinese medicine my favorite weird ingredient was flying squirrel poop...ya gotta think...who first decided that it would make a good medicine...or did a flying squirrel just fly over the tea water and poop....



(Putting down my tea). Oh my. Remind me to ask my herbalist to tell me what's exactly in my concoction during my next visit.


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## not_ally (Aug 30, 2015)

rparrny said:


> During my training in Chinese medicine my favorite weird ingredient was flying squirrel poop water and poop....



The critical question, is it supposed to make you taller?


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## rparrny (Aug 30, 2015)

JayJay said:


> (Putting down my tea). Oh my. Remind me to ask my herbalist to tell me what's exactly in my concoction during my next visit.


If your herbalist uses Chinese medicine theory...you're better off not asking...blood, insects, testicles, poisons, the velvet off of deer antlers...and if you knew how much a gallstone from a cow is worth, you'd open a dairy and feed them all pizza...


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## rparrny (Aug 30, 2015)

not_ally said:


> The critical question, is it supposed to make you taller?


Its been a while and without looking it up...don't quote me but I think it was used for flu like illness, cause I remember learning about it and imagining the husband fixing his wife a pot of tea for her illness and a squirrel flying by and pooping in the pot...he chooses not to tell her...and viola! she gets better...


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## JayJay (Aug 30, 2015)

rparrny said:


> If your herbalist uses Chinese medicine theory...you're better off not asking...blood, insects, testicles, poisons, the velvet off of deer antlers...and if you knew how much a gallstone from a cow is worth, you'd open a dairy and feed them all pizza...



Yikes.


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## zolveria (Aug 30, 2015)

you should try it.. its absolutely fabulous .. you can use natural silk thread also.




commoncenz said:


> Oh YOU people ... always dropping more knowledge on me and making me explore the edges of my comfort zone when it comes to adding "this or that" to my soap. If soaping is an addiction ... consider yourselves either "pushers" or "enablers"!


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## rparrny (Aug 31, 2015)

Yeah I ordered some silk from Babs...ENABLERS!!


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## MrsSpaceship (Aug 31, 2015)

rparrny said:


> Yeah I ordered some silk from Babs...ENABLERS!!



I prefer to think of myself as a product pusher.


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## commoncenz (Aug 31, 2015)

MrsSpaceship said:


> I prefer to think of myself as a product pusher.



Pusher, enabler, peer pressure ... whateverrrrr ... I just ordered a couple ounces myself. That's a couple of ounces of the silk; lest anyone think something untoward. :shock:


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