this is just a prototype/concept testing thingamabob BUT.... This is spider silk embroidery! It's literally a tiny rectangle (less than a centimeter) but it's so shiny and pretty.
Collected from webs of the Joro spider, a type of golden orb weaver. Yes, it's naturally that golden
This is from the support threads, not washed at all. The sticky inner web wasn't used, as it's goopy and full of debris. The support threads are also the longest and the strongest, so i can pluck off 1-2ft sections at a time (usually combining a few separate strands into one thread)
And some photos of the back + the hoop contraption, made with spare parts:
Dunno what i'll do with this concept yet but i think the whole thing would look cool covered in these rectangles. It would be nice to embroider a joro spider with it, but I don't have the colors (and it'd be mighty complex) but we'll see
Spider silk-inspired process turns corn protein into tougher plastic-like material
When it comes to technology and innovation, we have a lot to thank Mother Nature for. Learning from the natural world has led to a range of useful products, including Velcro, self-cleaning paint, and ultra-strong body armor. And now, a study published in the journal Nature Communications reports that scientists have developed a way to turn a corn protein into a plastic-like material using a method inspired by spider silk. The breakthrough could one day lead to biodegradable food packaging wraps to help reduce environmental waste.
🕷️Meet Joe Arguelles, a comparative biology Ph.D. student in the Museum’s Richard Gilder Graduate School. His research focuses on understanding the molecular drivers of the incredible mechanical properties of spider silks.
🕸️He also studies the evolution of “prey capture systems” (silk, venom, and vision) in active hunting spiders, and how these genes have changed in response to the loss of web-spinning behavior.
(for my sake i'm going to say this takes place in new york because i know nothing absolutely about south korea or seoul)
general silk!sae-byeok headcanons
she was a pick pocket before she got bit, she'd go to richer areas (but not overrun with cops) to steal from older people who wouldn't catch on
she provides for her family, even as a student who barely managed to get into college, she provides for her mother and her younger brother
definitely works in a library or something cause they're too short staffed to fire her when she has to leave abruptly for “a family emergency”
when she first got bit and no one was at the library when she was working, she was desperately searching for a book to tell her what was wrong with her because this girl does not trust the internet
her father and older sibling passed in a mugging turned double homicide
she'd ignore her symptoms for a long time after she got bit. but then it became hard to ignore
her webbing would be natural like silk's and came out of her fingertips, it was hard to ignore when everything would be sticking to her fingers at all times
she'd be relatively discreet about her double life. you'd have to really know her to notice that she always sighs to herself when a notification for a news station appears on her phone screen
always gets so annoyed when she's busy and has to help someone. she does it, but that doesn't mean she's not annoyed about it
when she first started testing out her powers, she started laughing as soon as webs shot out of her fingertips. she genuinely thought she'd died and this was god playing a trick on her
she didn't start helping people right away, she didn't think that'd be a good idea for her since she was still somewhat of a pickpocket
but eventually, she was walking by an alley when she saw someone getting mugged. remembering her dad and sibling, she helped without hesitation, and never stopped
the media first started calling her spiderwoman and her eye started twitching
spiderwoman is basic to her, so she came up with her own name
she webbed up her new superhero name in between two buildings with a little note taped to a robber that read “get the name right next time”
now she'll always be known as silk
she wanted to be remembered. despite her reserved and closed off nature, she wanted to be remembered, thought of, just considered
she wants the things she does to matter
she hates swinging when its raining. her suit starts sticking to her skin and it throws her off
she will fight someone if they call her a dumb nickname
dating silk!sae-byeok headcanons
wouldn't tell you she's silk for months. like she wouldn't even tell you because she wanted to, she'd show up to your home when she got hurt on a run, knock on the window, and basically give you a heart attack so she could avoid the topic and use the excuse “why are you focusing on that when i am bleeding?”
tries desperately to keep you away from any suspicion that you've ever even crossed paths with silk so none of her enemies will know you're involved
the first and only time she's yelled at you was when you tried to help stop a bad guy after she'd saved you from said bad guy
she feels so bad when she misses something of yours that was important, so she takes you around for a swing to make it up to you.
but i don't think she realizes how scary it is??? so you just get more upset with her
she used to deal with her injuries on her own, but now she goes to you when she's hurt. because despite being able to heal much quicker than normal people, she is still in pain
bonus silk!sae-byeok x black cat!reader headcanons
she hates you so much
like literally can't stand you
but as soon as you're hurt and she knows about it? she's swinging as fast as she can to help apprehend you
whichever outfit you're wearing, she can't stop staring at you when you're near her. it's so obvious too because her mask is barely a mask and only covers half of her face
dating silk!sae-byeok is dangerous too because she literally can't resist you
if she's behind you, her eyes are trained on your ass and thighs, but if you're in front of her, she's resisting every urge she has to bury her face in your tits
nsfw silk!sae-byeok headcanons under the cut. mdni
she uses her webs to tie you up when you piss her off
she also uses it to keep you quiet when her strap is buried inside you
she's not a huge fan of having sex in public places, but she'd bring you to the top of a skyscraper and eat you out in plain sight
she uses her strength to her advantage. always. she pins you down on her bed with no effort whatsoever
has fucked you against the side of a building, will do it again.
not in the classic way, no. she's used her strength and abilities to stick to the walls, holding your legs around her waist as she fucked her dark green strap into you until you both (it's just you but she pretends to be tired so you feel better) got too tired to keep going
when i say spider silk!sae-byeok, i do not mean silk's lore. sae-byeok fits the suit, abilities, and overall vibe (as seen on pinterest) of spider silk. but she does not share that same lore, so just keep that in mind. she wasn't bit by the same spider as spiderman and is like sexually attracted to him bro i swear i just meant the vibe 💔💔
When spiders spin their webs, they use their hind legs to pull silk threads from their spinnerets. This pulling action doesn't just help the
When spiders spin their webs, they use their hind legs to pull silk threads from their spinnerets. This pulling action doesn't just help the spider release the silk, it's also a crucial step in strengthening the silk fibers for a more durable web.
In a new study, Northwestern University researchers have discovered why the role of stretching is so important. By simulating spider silk in a computational model, the team discovered the stretching process aligns the protein chains within the fibers and increases the number of bonds between those chains. Both factors lead to stronger, tougher fibers.
