It's surprising how many of us don't know how silk is made. We think of silkworms munching happily on mulberry leaves, but we don't know that the silk from the cocoons they spin is released by placing the cocoons in hot water, which kills the worm inside. Eri silk, on the other hand, is produced principally in Assam, north east India, and doesn't involve killing the worm. Rather the genus of silkworm in Assam (caterpillar of Samia cynthia ricini silkmoth) weaves a cocoon that's open at one end, so the moth can hatch, leaving a cocoon that is gathered from the ground. Eris Silk is brought to the UK by Seema Barot of Mantra Design in London. For information about the silk - which can be woven with other sustainable fibres such as linen and organic cotton - email seema@mantradesignlondon.com