The UK Silk Industry
The silk industry is an important part of the apparel, interiors and textile trade through the supply of raw and unfinished materials, fabrics and garments. There are still pockets of silk weaving in the UK as well as companies that specialise in dyeing and printing of silk and in knitting silk for a variety of technical end uses. The UK silk industry exports millions of pounds of goods throughout the world. And as a result UK supplied silk is seen on the catwalks of the world as well as in the most sumptuous furnishings in luxury hotels. The UK silk industry is very varied and as well as producing the normal range of silk yarns, fabrics and garments other products include the manufacture of silk sutures for the medical profession, the knitting of silk gloves, which are used by jet fighter pilots in the Royal Air Force, and the hand weaving of silk fabrics, which are being used in the restoration of castles and palaces throughout Europe.