Homespun Silk - Keteni

Silk Coccoons in Cappadocia, 2011

Turkmenistan is known for keteni , or homespun silk. The arid desert climate is favorable to the growth of white mulberry trees which is the exclusive source of food for silkworms. When harvested, a single silkworm cocoon can produce a strand over 1000 meters long. The thread is then colored with natural dyes created with local plants and minerals. Zohre remembers women carrying silkworms in their pockets to keep them warm, protected, and fed throughout the day.

Balak (Women's Traditional Pants), Zohre Meredova, 2017

Take Note of the spun silk on the cuff's of the pants.

Elementary Students Dance in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, 2011

Woman in Traditional Dress at TurkFest in Houston, Texas, 2009

Turkmen Nomadic Family, C. 1900 sits in front of a silk embroidered cloth

Vocabulary Words:

Keteni: homespun silk fabric, created orginially in the land of what is now Turkmenistan.
cocoon: a silken case spun by the larvae of insects to protect the insect during it's pupil stage as it grows to become an adult