A Swift is an item that allows you to wind yarn from a Hank into any other means of a ball of yarn.
As I’ve owned a variety of different versions I am sharing those I’ve tried so that I can save you time and effort and money for ones that I felt worked better.
At this point my favourite and easiest to use version which is lightweight and easy to rotate is the wire umbrella style Swift. This is a permanent Swift that I have installed above my work area by my computer where I work on my circular sock machines. The version I has a small crank handle on the very top so that you can manually turn the top part of it, which I found useful when I was going from a yarn skein or a ball to go back into a Hank, which I found easiest when I was dyeing yarn. See it on my desk INSTAGRAM
The very first Swift I ever bought was a wooden umbrella, styles Swift, and the problem I found with the wooden umbrella style Swift was that the clamp was small limiting where I could clamp it, and the rotation was wood and wood - meeting there was friction which slow down the easy rotation of the swift.
The next Swift that I purchased was a wire umbrella style Swift, it folded down, very flat was easy to pack wherever I was going it was very lightweight and the metal on metal construction allowed for easy, smooth rotation of the swift. The clamp on this style Swift isn’t very robust but with a bit of rubberized cabinet liner and some glue, I made it a little bit easier to clamp to a table side or shelf. This is the one I featured above.
I then purchased a table top image style Swift, that can be completely dismantled into parts, easily without tools and reassembled easily sitting on top of a table, instead of being clamped to the side. However, it is very light weight and being like this it’s also wood on wood. There was a lot of friction with the rotation of this style Swift.
I’m considering a version that doesn’t need to be clamped - that could be placed on any flat surface.
The next swift that I purchased was one that is freestanding designed to sit on a table top, and which features in accordion style for arms that are locked into place by the adjustment of a nut on the middle part of the swift like this darker version shown below. It’s difficult to adjust the arms into the position needed but once done it worked well. Be sure to setup this style so that the bottom small pieces engage to hold the hank from slipping off. Although it turned better than prior wood on wood versions, that may play a small part in how easily it turns.
The next version I invested in is a free standing boye swift of chrome and white plastic.
I feel my ideal swift is a vertical version that can dismantle fairly easy, and which rotates on a metal component to allow easy rotation, without friction added.
below are another vintage style of swift - squirrel cage, Swift, and possum cage Swift.
