Sari Silk vs Mulberry Silk: Which Silk Yarn Should You Choose?

If you have ever stood in front of a yarn wall and felt the pull of silk - that quiet shimmer, that promise of softness against the skin - you already know the dilemma. Silk yarn is not one thing. Recycled sari silk arrives in a riot of colour and texture; mulberry silk arrives smooth as water. Both are silk, both are beautiful, and they behave in completely different ways once they are on your needles or hook.

This guide compares the two main silks makers reach for - recycled sari silk and pure mulberry silk - plus Tussah wild silk, the quiet third option that sits between them. By the end you will know which silk yarn fits your next project, whether you are knitting a lace shawl, crocheting a summer top, or weaving something you intend to keep for decades.

What makes silk yarn different in the first place

Silk is a protein fibre, spun by silkworms, and it is the only natural fibre that comes in a continuous filament. That single fact explains almost everything about how silk yarn behaves: its strength, its fluid drape, its ability to catch light, and its surprising warmth for its weight. Silk is breathable in heat and insulating in cold, which is why it moves so gracefully between seasons.

The differences between silk yarns come down to two things - how the fibre is prepared, and whether it is new or reclaimed. Preparation decides sheen and smoothness. Reclaiming decides colour, texture and story.

Recycled sari silk: texture, colour and character

What sari silk actually is

Recycled sari silk is made from silk saris that are no longer worn. The fabric is cut into strips, often hand-twisted, and spun into yarn or ribbon. Because it is recycled from finished garments, the colour is already there - deep indigo, saffron, emerald, rose - and no two skeins are ever quite the same.

The texture is where sari silk wins hearts. It is thick-and-thin, slightly nubby, sometimes with bead accents or ribbon flatness, and it gives a fabric obvious handmade presence. KnitSilk's Recycled Sari Silk Beads Yarn shows this beautifully: roughly 80 yards per 100 g skein, with decorative beads spun into the fibre for a statement texture you simply cannot get from a uniform yarn.

Best projects for sari silk

Sari silk is not a fine-lace material and it does not pretend to be. It shines in:

• Statement accessories: cowls, chunky scarves, oversized baskets
• Ribbon yarn work - the flat, glossy ribbon yarn family that sari silk shares
• Jewellery, tassels, embellishments and mixed-media fibre art
• Home decor: plant hangers, wall hangings, textured cushions

Try Recycled Sari Silk Ribbon in a soft olive ombre for crochet baskets, or the Mini Recycled Silk Yarn Pack with ten 10 g skeins when you want to sample ten colourways before committing to a larger piece.

Mulberry silk: smooth, lustrous, heirloom

Mulberry silk is the classic. Silkworms raised on mulberry leaves produce a long, even filament that is reeled, degummed and spun into a yarn with a pearly, almost liquid sheen. It is the smoothest silk you can buy, and it takes dye with extraordinary depth.

Where sari silk is rustic, mulberry silk is refined. It has:

• A glossy, luminous finish that reads as luxury at a glance
• A cool, weightless hand that drapes like water
• Excellent stitch definition in fine gauges, so lace patterns stay crisp
• Predictable, uniform behaviour - crucial for heirloom and garment work

Mulberry silk earns its place in delicate garments, lace shawls, camisoles, and pieces meant to be handed down. A 3 Ply 100% Mulberry Silk Lace Weight Yarn in mustard, at 260 yards per 50 g, gives you enough yardage for a fine stole with a glimmer that shifts in daylight. If you also spin, Mulberry Silk Cocoon Fibre lets you prepare the same fibre yourself for needle felting, blending and hand-dyeing.

Tussah wild silk: the middle path

Tussah silk comes from wild silkworms feeding on oak and similar leaves rather than cultivated mulberry. Its filament is shorter and more irregular, so the yarn has a soft, subtle lustre instead of a mirror shine, and it takes dye into warm, slightly muted tones.

You will sometimes see the term bourette silk used for silk spun from the shorter leftover fibres - the textured, matte cousin in the same family. Both sit comfortably between sari silk's rusticity and mulberry's polish.

KnitSilk's Tussah Wild Silk Yarn is a combed 10/2 lace weight: 500 g, roughly 2,500 yards, undyed and naturally creamy. That kind of yardage makes it ideal for large lace projects, weaving warps and long-term dye experiments.

Silk yarn comparison at a glance

	Recycled sari silk	Tussah wild silk	Mulberry silk
Sheen	Soft, uneven, occasional gloss	Gentle, subtle lustre	High, pearly, luminous
Texture	Thick-and-thin, nubby, ribbon-like	Slightly irregular, smooth-ish	Uniform, glass-smooth
Colour	Pre-dyed, multicoloured, one-of-a-kind	Undyed, takes dye warmly	Undyed or dyed with deep clarity
Gauge	Chunky to worsted	Fine to lace	Fine to lace
Drape	Structured, body	Fluid, moderate weight	Liquid, weightless
Sustainability story	Recycled, upcycled	Wild-harvested	Cultivated, renewable
Best for	Accessories, decor, embroidery, jewellery	Lace, weaving, dyeing, everyday knits	Lace, heirlooms, garments, fine crochet

Which silk yarn for crochet?

Crochet is hard on yarn - every loop passes through the last - so crochet rewards silk that holds its shape and resists abrasion.

Mulberry silk's smooth surface glides through crochet loops and gives crisp, even stitch definition, which makes it the easier choice for fine crochet like doilies, table linens and lace tops. Sari silk, by contrast, adds bulk and character to crochet much faster: a simple single-crochet basket in recycled silk ribbon looks intentional and expensive in an afternoon.

Practical rule: fine, defined crochet - choose mulberry or Eri silk. Bold, textured crochet - choose sari silk ribbon.

Matching silk to the project

• A lace shawl for a wedding: mulberry silk, or Eri silk for a softer, matte finish. Eri is an ahimsa peace silk, harvested without harming the worm, and its off-white matte look suits delicate weaving and baby garments.
• A gift scarf that gets compliments: Tussah wild silk - enough lustre to feel special, enough texture to look handmade.
• A textured cushion or wall hanging: recycled sari silk beads yarn or braided sari silk cord.
• An heirloom baby blanket: a silk-merino blend, which pairs silk's sheen with wool's resilience.
• A dyeing or spinning experiment: Mulberry cocoon fibre or undyed Tussah lace weight.

Texture, sheen and the honest trade-offs

Be clear-eyed about what you are buying. Sari silk will not give you a uniform fabric, and if you need symmetry - matched sleeves, a tailored edge - its irregularity will fight you. Mulberry silk will not give you rustic charm or quick meterage; it asks for fine needles, patience and, usually, hand washing.

Both, however, share silk's best quality: weightless warmth. Silk adds almost no bulk to a finished piece while making it noticeably warmer and softer.

Sustainability: two good answers to one question

Silk is already one of the more renewable fibres in a maker's stash - it comes from a cultivated, regenerative process and is fully biodegradable. Recycled sari silk goes one step further by diverting finished textiles from waste streams, while wild-harvested Tussah and ahimsa Eri silk sidestep the harvesting concerns some makers have with conventional silk.

If sustainability is your deciding factor, upcycled sari silk and peace silks are the strongest stories in your stash.

So which should you choose?

If you want smoothness, sheen and heirloom drape - choose mulberry silk. If you want colour, texture and a yarn with a past - choose recycled sari silk. If you want something in between, with generous yardage and a natural, undyed character - choose Tussah wild silk.

The honest answer is that most silk-loving makers end up with all three, used for different moments. Start with the project you are dreaming about, not the yarn, and the choice usually makes itself.

Explore the full silk collection at knitsilk.com, with regional storefronts at knitsilk.us and knitsilk.eu. Whichever silk you reach for, you are working with a fibre that has been treasured for thousands of years - and it shows in every stitch.