Tussah Silk

[ChrissyB]

HI Everyone
A few months ago I made a couple of batches of soap with Tussah silk dissolved in the lye water. I cut these batches and put them in boxes up the top of the cupboard....and forgot about them. The date I put on the box is 18/12/08...so these bars are so lovely and hard and cured really really well.
But gee, upon using them, the silk makes such a big difference. One batch I made was warm vanilla sugar, and it is such creamy smooth silky lather, it is so nice, and so very different to soap with out it.
I really can't get over the difference that this makes. I think I will have to use it in all my soaps now.

Hmm, I am thinking a coconut/shea 20% SF bar, with no colouring, no scent, but tussah silk.....divine!! 8)
Anyone else love their tussah silk soap?

 

[laVale]

Wow, I bought Tussah Silk in a session of compulsive internet shopping, and I didn't know how to use it!
Great!
How much did you use of it?
Mine is a white stuff looking like hair, do you put it in the lye solution and then soapmake normally?
Does it smell?

Thanks so much!

Ciao

Vale

 

[Lindy]

I use Tussah Silk in every soap I make because I so love the feel of it in the soaps.

Vale - you use a really small amount (about the size of your thumbnail) and cut it into little pieces then add your water (saturate the silk) and then add your lye. Easy to use and major payback on a minimal investment - IMO

 

[topcat]

Lol Lindy.....I use about the size of a small cotton ball! Am I using too much then? I love the feel of how the silk makes my soap and the lather....wow!!! I just pull apart the fibres a bit and put it in my water then add the lye on top and stir occasionally. I use it in nearly every batch. I have two recipes I call 'vegan' so I don't include silk but I have read that cornsilk is a good substitute, so I am going to add that next time I make them and see what difference I get.

Tanya

 

[ChrissyB]

Yep I just dissolve it in my lye water...I put the silk in the water then pour the lye on top, and as the lye sinks it takes the silk with it.
I have only used a little bit, about the size of a cotton ball for a 2kg batch. I don't think you need a lot of it for it be really effective. I read somewhere that it's the amino acids that the silk gives to the soap that makes it feel so incredible. I wonder how it would go in a shampoo bar?

 

[AshleyR]

I use it too! I haven't in all of my soaps, but a few. I just made a soap with tea tree oil and green clay yesterday, and put some silk in it. I find the silk adds that extra slippyness to the soap! I don't know about you guys, but I find a lot of handmade soap kind of "drags" on the skin the first few uses - but when I use silk it is nice and slippery and smooth!

 

[Guest]

I use it in every batch too, I use about a cotton ball size too .That is what was recommended .
I think think it makes a huge difference in the feel of the bar .My hubby noticed the difference , that says a lot to me :wink:

Kitn

 

[Guest]

So where do you guys order your tussah silk from?

 

[LJA]

I just bought some. Thanks, Enablers.

 

[Tootie_Smiles]

Curse you enablers!!!....I am fixing to place an order for two ounces!

http://www.yarnorama.com/19301.html
They have it for $3 per oz plus $4.80 shipping

http://store01.prostores.com/servlet/wc ... StoreFront
Not sure of prices yet, I am waiting for an answer.

Both of these places are in Texas.

Pauline

 

[Guest]

I just bought some. Thanks, Enablers.

You will love it !!

Kitn

 

[Guest]

You can get it on ebay .$7.99 for 2oz includes shipping.
2 ounces fills 2 of the sandwich size ziplock bag to stuffed.
Kitn

 

[LJA]

You can get it on ebay .$7.99 for 2oz includes shipping.

Kitn

That's the one I just bought!

 

[zeoplum]

What about Silk Noil? Is that as good in soap? Or is the non-Noil stuff superior enough that I should make sure that's what I get?

Thanks,
zeo

 

[Jaderyn]

On it and buying some Thanks...Another thing to addict me..lol

Just got mine here:

http://www.littlebarninc.com/catalog.asp

Hope it helps

 

[Deda]

If you are concerned about whether or not the silk is Cruelty Free, make sure you buy it from a reliable source.

Wikipedia has a good article on the production of silk
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk

Scent Works sells Cruelty free at a great price.
http://store.scent-works.com/tusnoilsilfi.html

 

[LJA]

Thaks, Deda...it does mean something to me. I'm gonna email the person I just bought from.

 

[laVale]

Hello!
The one from Gracefruit is humane silk.

Tussah is a humane silk, gathered after the moth has emerged from the cocoon.

 

[ChrissyB]

Mine is certified cruelty free. I don't sell my soap but that is important to me nevertheless.
Cruelty free means that they wait for the caterpillar to leave the cocoon and then they take the silk, rather than ripping the caterpillar out of the cocoon and killing them to get the silk.

 

[Jaderyn]

I just asked too.. I'll let you know