Learn how your comment data is processed. If you’re going to use the yarn immediately for a project, excellent choice. If you are using a Winder with your yarn swift, you can create yarn cakes, rather than yarn balls. It’s made of plastic and metal, so it’s not as sturdy as the other wooden options available. If you joined us for our Cozy Knit Cabled Socks Workshop, Ksenia demos this tool in her video tutorial. Advice from our readers is you must have padding between it and the table you are clamping it to due to the burrs in the plastic covering for the clamp. An Amish style swift can spin most average or medium-sized hanks. And it can be set up or broken down in a matter of seconds without the use of tools! Then you are ready to start winding your ball. Note: Clicking the above links will take you to further information, current prices, and reviews on Amazon. This type of yarn swift is made from wood and consists of two long, thin pieces of wood that crisscross in the middle, creating four arms. If you’re worried about a swift that sits flat damaging the area, place a cloth underneath. Even today, most of the models are still made from these woods! The top of a chair could serve perfectly for this! The most common swifts are umbrella swifts made of wood (known for its durability) or metal and will collapse relatively flat for storage. Due to the dowels’ sloping, smaller yarn circles can be put towards the top, and larger ones can be put near the bottom. They’re not as sturdy as the wooden ones; people have problems with their durability and, on occasion, breaking. Very much appreciated your review – Thank you! twist of yarn arrived by direct count ing; Tl – value of . Built of solid wood, this tabletop Amish Style swift has pegs to make it easily adjustable for smaller or larger rings of yarn. The beauty of using a winder and yarn swift will mean you have center pull cakes. These yarn swifts are made of strong materials. Can clamp onto various surfaces, 1 3/4 inch thick such as tables, benches or chairs. Made of hard maple wood, with metal ball bearings that make it spin smoothly. The Stanwood Needlecraft Tabletop Wooden yarn swift measures 29 x 5 x 1.1 inches and only weighs 1.81pounds, so you won’t have a problem carrying it around. The Best Knitting Machines in Review. Quality Yarn Swift Umbrella with Storage Case,Dimensions: 21" x 19" x 17" (53x48x43cm), the storage case is 17.5" x 2" x 2" for sale, Buy New Products … An umbrella style swift. A Yarn Swift is made of either wood or metal and plastic. Cut a dado (notchy thing) at the very centre of each piece. I thought this one was a bit of fun. Yarn swifts are wonderful inventions to hold those pesky hanks of yarn and stop them from getting tangled. If she had a yarn shop, she would need to upgrade. 29. Say goodbye to a tangled mess of yarn. Can go on various surfaces, 1 3/4 inch thick such as tables, benches, or chairs. Literally!!! It’s considered an essential tool for any knitter or crocheter. It has 4 arms and holes where pegs can be inserted to accommodate different hank circumferences. It works wonderfully. It’s 28 inches in diameter when two-arm crossbars are set up. Product Dimensions 1.1 x 4.4 x 25.5 inches Item model number 1098 ASIN B0033F0A40 Customer Reviews: 4.5 out of 5 stars 332 ratings. Simply clamp the swift onto a table or counter top to start winding yarn neatly and easily. When working, it’s fairly quiet, and the spin is smooth. I hope this advice helps to make your purchase. The peg holes are labeled with the size skein in both inches and centimeters, which other users have found very helpful. These are the original Swedish made swifts and not an imitation. Happy Knitting! Umbrella swifts can vertically spin. I’d highly recommend the Stanwood option, I just love it. Watch how yarn in hank form becomes neat yarn cakes. They collapse easily and are very easy to pack away. First, slide the clamp at the base of the yarn swift onto your table and tighten the bolt. It is possible to use this yarn swift vertically by attaching it to a chair back. On each of the arms, there are a series of holes where pegs can be inserted. Four adjustable pegs can easily be moved to accommodate any size hank of yarn. Swifts were used almost exclusively for homespun yarn in those days. Our Natural Hard Maple Yarn Swift features durable metal bearings (also made in the USA), for a consistently smooth winding process. Of course, the buying decision is yours. Wait until the hank form is placed on the swift. Sanded finish and made of solid wood, is a cinch to store and built to last. So glad my guide has helped you. It is easy to assemble and pack down for storage. Turning hanks into easy to use balls, makes bringing home new yarn that much more enjoyable. Best Combo of Yarn Swift and Ball Winder: Olikraft Yarn Ball Winder and Umbrella Swift. Learn from other’s mistakes or experiences as well as yours! These items require a fair amount of space. Imported. No need for the ‘knee method’ or using your dining room chair. Hopefully, the reviews of the different types of swifts available on the market will help you decide which are the best yarn swifts for you. The yarn swift tabletop is a workhorse. Simple to manage with very few parts. To store it, you’ll have to disassemble it if you want it to take up less room. You'll be amazed at the range of skein sizes (28" to 72" skeins) and yarn types (thin to bulky) this swift easily accommodates, while sitting conveniently on any table top. I ended up with the Stanwood Needlecraft and am super happy! Here is a quick checklist to consider when making the buying decision for the best yarn swift: Checking off the above is a good idea before you purchase. It comes in 4 pieces, 2 for the base, and two to make the crisscrossed arm sections. Storage can be an issue as it does not break down in any way. “Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn’t hurt the untroubled spirit either.” – Elizabeth Zimmermann. The beauty is, the yarn swift holds the yarn for you, like an extra pair of hands. She notes the wheel is a bit fragile and could be bent out of shape if dropped. In the past, they were made from durable, long-lasting, strong hardwoods, for example, maple or birch. Some people might not like the hemp ties that hold parts of the machine. To use a yarn winder and see your stash of hanks and skeins, becoming neat little yarn cakes can be addictive. The largest umbrella swifts expand up to 8.5 feet wide. And unfortunately, yarn hanks don’t come in just one size as each spinner, dyer, and manufacturer chooses the size based on their tools and methods. On each of these arms is a series of holes into which pegs are inserted. If you buy through a link on my posts, I may earn an affiliate commission. Particularly the Amish style swift and umbrella swift. Some may not like the hemp ties that hold parts of the machine together. If you’re using an umbrella swift, put the yarn circle around the yarn swift and open out of the extendable sections. Love your use of puns Linda! While the umbrella style arms are closed, clamp the bottom section to a table. I enjoyed watching it and found it very informative and helpful. The wood is smooth and durable. (Yes, I’m a real person :) ) Thanks for being here. I hope you find this resource useful! Knitter's Pride Winding Tools - Signature Swift - These yarn winding and dispensing tools from Knitter's Pride are perfect for all of your at-home winding needs! The ends of metal tying wires are hidden into holes, so no rough edges hurt your hands or snag the yarn. Our table top yarn swift is made by hand in our own workshop. Only good for smaller skein lengths and hanks. As knitters know, winding a hank without a swift is a challenge. By using this site, you accept our use of cookies. Dimension of yarn twist, An Innovative Techniques 417 . You can also take a break, and nothing will have changed when you come back to continue. It can be easily adjusted by moving pegs to hold various sizes of skeins between 2 1/2 - 6 ft in circumference. The swifts I’ve reviewed in my best yarn swift article cover many styles. This allows for easy storage and makes them very portable for travel. Great care has been taken with the overall construction and performance to make sure it lasts for years. Yes, I’m talking about the Yarn Swift from WeCrochet. There are several different types of Yarn Swifts. Simple to set up because it doesn’t have many pieces. I was watching a video recently of someone who owned an Amish style swift her husband made. An Amish style swift comprises a swivel base, with 4 arms, made of 2 pieces of wood that crisscross, giving it durability. Let’s know which one you end up choosing. Yarn swifts are wonderful inventions, perfect for taking a laborious task and makes it so much easier. Learn more about the best yarn swifts, or read our in-depth yarn swift reviews, with pros & cons and chart breaking down what you need to … Yarn Swift, yarn winding accessory, BEKA Wood Products 542 Selby Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55102 1-888-999-BEKA(2352) This type of swift is usually free-standing and similar to an Amish swift design. The spinner wound the skein on her niddy noddy , then transferred it to the swift , which guaranteed that the skeins would always be of the same size. The pegs are adjustable to 5 positions along the arms to adapt to various sizes of skeins of yarn. To make the whole process of winding a ball from a skein, follow these simple instructions: Using an Umbrella Swift and a Ball Winder Combo will save you an enormous amount of time. The metal screws feature a plastic stopper at the end to prevent scratches when clamping the swift onto a table. (I highly recommend using a Ball Winder.). The Twister’s arms extend to hold a skein up to 60 inches. This is a natural wood … Size of swift: The size of swift you need depends on the size of the yarn hank you’re winding. Open up the arms like an umbrella (umbrella swift is a common name for this tool) until the yarn is taut on the yarn swift. One of the more popular varieties is the umbrella swift. 3.5 out of 5 stars 9. Fasten the screw into position on the shaft, and you are good to go. Fine sanded finish, so no heavy wood varnish fumes. The Umbrella Swift does fold down and can be easily stored away. Four adjustable pegs can easily be moved to accommodate any size hank of yarn. 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