Silk Rods are the leavings that are left on the silk reeling machines, this is the silk that gets tangled and wrapped around the reeling equipment. The silk rods are not degummed and have a papery feel to them. No two rods look exactly the same. You'll find tangled pieces of silk threads and smashed cocoons sometimes mixed in with the rods. You can spin the strippings after they are degummed by just teasing the fiber first with your fingers to open up the fibers, or you can go ahead and card the silk for a more even yarn. I prefer using cotton carders as the teeth are finer and give a better finsihed product.
