Balkal or Balkhal is a thick coarse yarn spun from Tussar peduncles (stem) of the cocoon. Hence this is also a variety of Ahimsa silk. It has the coarsest texture of all raw silks. The peduncles prior to spinning are subjected to cooking/boiling in an alkaline solution and opening up operations. Peduncles are boiled in soap and soda solution followed by steaming. After washing and drying, they are beaten-up for opening and subsequently carded and finally spun into thick yarn up to about 10s count, by either a spinning wheel or Ambara charkha. The degumming loss of the peduncles of different races of Tussar cocoons shown in Balkal yarn is normally used as weft in combination with reeled silk for the production of union fabrics.
This technique is a brilliant example of the zero-waste philosophy in textile manufacturing. Balkal silk is spun to create beautiful natural dark brown yarn which is then used to weave highly versatile, breathable fabric. Though rustic and raw in its appearance, Balkal silk is soft and warm when you feel it. It’s a very rare silk produced only on a small scale in India. The silk is produced from the stem, not the cocoon.
