Our Journey from Eri Silk Woven Fabric to Eri Silk Knitting Yarn

Did you know that Muezart now brings you a special yarn – a first ever handmade silk knitting yarn – the Eri silk knitting yarn?

For all knitting lovers this must be great news – an all-weather yarn that will feel soft enough to knit with, any time of the year, and will keep you warm in winter and can be used in summers too.

Eri Silk Knitting Yarn from Meghalaya

You would have heard of Eri silk yarn being used to weave fabric. But I bet you did not know it can be used for knitting too.

Muezart has pioneered Eri silk knitting yarn in different weights and colors. A yarn you can knit with all year round. Visit our online yarn store for India and browse from a variety of knitting yarns.

How to know if this knitting yarn fits your requirements? The story is knitters and makers like you asking us for a thicker yarn. After a some experimenting and prototyping, we were able to start productions in a matter of a few months. So, a lot has to do with the knitting community in India.

There is a story behind Muezart’s journey – from Eri silk for weaving to Eri silk knitting yarn.

Muezart Eri Silk Knitting Yarn - The Start

To be honest we at Muezart did not know everything about Eri silk when we started. Not even close. All we knew was that Eri Silkworm rearing and the related activities of spinning yarn, dyeing yarn and weaving is a traditional practice followed by the women in the villages of Meghalaya.

We learnt all that was there to learn through our meetings with villagers who knew the art of Eri silkworm rearing and spinning. We saw an industry waiting to be regenerated and in doing so would make a difference to the lives of the villagers. And, that it could be done as a profitable business through mutual partnerships.

Started with Woven Eri Silk Fabric

We started by sourcing Eri silk woven pieces and then the yarn that the spinners created. For generations, a thin single, hand-spun yarn has been spun by village women of Meghalaya. Our motivation for sourcing was to create a market for the industrious women.

We were amazed that our women partners could hand spin such thin, fine yarn – the type you can create lace with. That too using a traditional drop spindle. We gave designs and got the spinners to create shawls and stoles. What you see below are three of our popular scarves – our first product collection.

We dyed them using plant-based dyes – again an age-old technique. These products started to get noticed and we got the attention on our online yarn store.

Demand For Thick Knitting Yarn In India

Muezart started as a brand to create a market for Eri silk weaves and yarn – and made an interesting discovery. In India they seemed to weave with thin yarn. Which was fine but our global customers were mostly knitters and wanted a thicker yarn.

Hmm... This led the team on a new path to discovery.  

Muezart decided to find out more about how to get thick knitting yarn from Eri silk – a first step towards innovation and a new product line.  

Muezart invited an expert Eri silk weaver from a village to come to the Muezart studio and coach us on spinning. Rida, a Muezart maker, learnt spinning and weaving from her. She caught on super-fast and was soon ready to experiment further.

She upcycled waste Eri silk. And she learnt to spin thicker yarn that can be used for knitting and crochet. There was much excitement when Muezart became capable of creating a knitting yarn. Muezart took this learning to our women partners and coached them on how to hand spin a thick knitting yarn. It was not easy for them or for us, but they persevered, and they are now benefitting by a better price for spinning a  thicker yarn.

Rida giving training to some girls on Eri Silk Spinning

Within days of bringing the Eri silk knitting yarn to the market Muezart had an enquiry from a New York designer who went on to buy the yarn, and she created an outfit which was showcased in her show.

Here is the full story of how Muezart’ s Eri silk knitting yarn (the DK) reached a New York Fashion house.

What Muezart had supplied to Mimi Prober was hand-made DK yarn for knitting.

What is Plied Yarn – A Favorite of Knitters

Muezart still had more to learn. All of our thicker fingering and DK hand spun yarn were singles! A little more research into knitting yarn made it clear that we needed to create plied yarn as most knitting yarns were.

So what is plying?

In very simple terms – two or more single yarn twisted together to form a single yarn.

At Muezart we invested in a spinning/ plying machine – and Rida learnt the technique of plying – and soon mastered it!

Here is Rida plying. Spinning Machine (https://www.ashford.co.nz/spinning-wheels)

It was fascinating to see how soft and pliable the yarn became once it was plied. Is that why the process is called plying?!

Muezart was now ready to supply plied yarn to the knitting community! And the knitting and craft makers in India were about to get an all-natural yarn they have been waiting for.

Here is a visual snapshot of our ‘Knowledge Upgrade Timeline’

As you can see, we started by catering to the community of weavers in countries outside India and now we are catering to the knitting community all over the world – with the biggest engagement happening within India.

How Does Eri Silk Knitting Yarn Add Value to Knitters?

Most knitters take a break during summers – as knitting wool is hard to handle during hot days. Eri silk knitting yarn is a boon for them. It feels soft and is non-itchy. We have a nickname, ‘a wooly yarn with no itch’. With Muezart’s yarn you can work on your knitting project throughout the year.

Eri silk knitting yarn is a new type of yarn in the market. Something special. So, whatever you knit with it could become a topic of conversation among your friends. 😊

Of course, the other valuable points to note are that Muezart uses only plant based colors. And, the production of Eri Silk, also called Peace Silk (as some of the silkworms are not killed to extract silk) is totally sustainable and does not hurt the environment in any way.

We feel good that we created something totally new for the knitting community – a range of Eri silk Knitting Yarn.  

Muezart Creating a Market for Eri Silk Spinners Who Deliver Quality

Our network of spinners and weavers is increasing – there are some who had never worked with Eri silk before but are now learning the art – so they can add to their monthly income. They know that they have a buyer in Muezart! But Muezart is strict about quality – we buy all that someone has to offer, as long as the quality meets our requirements.

We look for:

1) Quality of the cocoons: Good cocoons are whiter, no debris or dirt and soft and has a slight sheen

2) Consistency of the hand spun yarn

3) Twist free yarn

4) Soft yarn

5) Damage free yarn: Moth free, mould, mildew and musty free

Here is a sample of a yarn we approved and bought.

Here is a sample of a reject.

We see the villagers who are into Eri silk emerging as entrepreneurs! Some of them work as a collective and supply to Muezart. It is indeed amazing to see that happening. Why? Because when we started, we did so to create a market for Eri silk yarn from Meghalaya in such a way that this heritage industry grows in a sustainable way creating opportunities for villagers. And it seems to be happening. 🤞

The Worlds First ‘Eri Silk Village’

We work with villagers from Umden in Ri Bhoi district of Meghalaya. In February 2020 Umden village was named as the Eri silk village by the Govt. of Meghalaya.

         
Source of image

Muezart cannot take credit for it but, we sincerely feel that our efforts through Muezart to bring Eri silk of Meghalaya and its weavers to the limelight would have nudged this to happen! Muezart’ s only focus is Eri silk, its spinners and weavers.

This is why we do what we do:

Muezart Exists To...

Regenerate a little-known silk and the women who make it.

We continue to stand by this commitment.

We have shared with you the story of our journey from Eri Silk Fibre to Eri Silk Knitting Yarn. Hope you found it useful.

We are constantly looking to understand the needs of our customers like you and add value. Subscribe to our newsletter to get updates from the world of Eri silk from Meghalaya. 

Are you a knitter? Do not miss trying this very new knitting yarn in the market – Muezart’ s Eri silk knitting yarn.

You have a question? Reach out to us through the comment box below.