Tsumugi yarn, supposedly inferior to the silk yarn from hon mayu, also referred to as tama yarn (spun from tama mayu, which means round cocoons) or irregular-shaped kuzu mayu (rubbish cocoons) is thicker and uneven.
本繭よりも劣るとされる太くて節の多い玉繭から紡いだ手撚りの玉糸（節糸とも言う）やくず繭と呼ばれる変型した繭から紡いだ紬糸が使われる。