10. Silk Reeling

Silk thread is produced on a silk reeling mill by pulling the silk filaments from the moistened cocoon (brushing, picking, and unwinding), and then twisting 7 to 8 silk filaments together. The cocoons are soaked in hot water; then the filaments are hand-separated and wound onto mechanical coil bobbins or skeins at the top of the reeling-mill. This process is called reeling, or filature.