Essentials of Sericulture

...four to five inches long. One end has a circular opening that fits over the Mother-Stirrup original: "牡孃鐙", muniang deng. A base component for the guiding mechanism., while the other end is inserted into a hole in the pillar of the frame of the machine. An iron hook is nailed to the top, called the thread-sending hook. For two threads, use two hooks; for three threads, use three hooks. Some also use bamboo hooks.

The Sounding Guide

The Sounding Guide original: "響緒", xiangxu. A revolving component that provides acoustic feedback to the operator, ensuring the threads are moving correctly. is made from a small section of bamboo approximately five inches long. The nodes at both ends are left intact, while the center is carved with grooves. A hole is pierced through the nodes so it can be mounted horizontally on the bamboo strips of the guide frame. As the silk threads pull and cross each other, the piece rotates and creates a sound—hence it is called the "sounding guide." Some people use sections of reed instead, but these break easily.

Making the Silk-Eye

The silk-eye original: "絲眼", siyan. A guiding eyelet. is the part used for threading the silk. It is made from a thin strip of copper or iron, three inches long. One end is hammered flat and drilled with a hole. This eye must be perfectly smooth and polished to prevent it from snapping the delicate silk threads. The base of the eyelet is set into a piece of mulberry wood.

The Mother-Stirrup

The heading character in the original text is written as 鏡 (jìng, mirror), but the subsequent text and the context of the first column refer to 鐙 (dèng, a stand or stirrup-shaped part).

The stirrup is crafted from mulberry wood. It stands three inches high with a circumference of six inches. The body is carved into either eight or ten facets 稜 (leng): the flat sides of a polygonal shape, used here to help the component sit securely or interact with the revolving parts..