Yarn Swifts

A yarn swift holds an open skein and turns while you wind it into a ball or cake. Pick an Amish-style swift that sits flat on any table or an umbrella swift that clamps to the edge. Each one's compared below the grid, with the ball winders that pair with it.

Amish-style or umbrella swift

An Amish-style swift lies flat on the tabletop. Four arms turn on a square base and a peg stands up from each arm, so it doesn't need a clamp and works on any table, counter or desk. An umbrella swift clamps to a table edge and opens like an umbrella, its slats spreading until the skein is snug, then folding closed for storage.

The swifts we carry

  • Paradise Fibers Super Swift II, our Amish-style swift. It's built in our Spokane woodshop in maple, walnut or cherry. It holds skeins from 32 to 66 in around and comes with a carrying bag.
  • Lykke Wooden Umbrella Swift, a clamp-on umbrella swift that opens to 30 in (76 cm) measured straight across and comes with its storage bag.
  • Ashford Wooden Umbrella Swift, arrives assembled with its clamp and holds skeins up to 72 in.
  • Schacht Ultra Umbrella Swift, turns on ball bearings, holds skeins up to 93 in and works upright or on its side, with a yardage counter as an option.
  • Ashford Skeiner 2, for spinners and dyers. It'll wind new skeins from 40 to 78 in as well as holding them, up to 3 1/4 lb of yarn.

Pair it with a ball winder

The swift holds the skein and a ball winder turns it into a center pull cake that feeds from the middle. The Lacis Red Yarn Ball Winder II winds a 4 oz skein, the Lacis Jumbo takes 10 oz in one cake, and the Ashford hand and electric winders take up to 17 1/2 oz. See every model in Ball Winders.

Frequently Asked Questions

A swift holds a skein open at its full size and turns as the yarn comes off, so you can wind it into a ball or cake without a helper holding it on their hands. Pair it with a ball winder for a center pull cake, or wind a ball by hand straight off the swift.

An Amish-style swift lies flat on the table with a peg on each of four arms, and it doesn't need a clamp. An umbrella swift clamps to a table edge, stands upright and folds closed like an umbrella. The Super Swift II is our Amish-style swift. The Lykke, Ashford Wooden Umbrella and Schacht Ultra swifts are umbrella swifts, and the Ashford Skeiner 2 is a skein winder.

Measured around the skein, the Super Swift II takes 32 to 66 in, the Ashford Wooden Umbrella Swift up to 72 in and the Schacht Ultra Umbrella Swift up to 93 in. The Lykke umbrella swift opens to 30 in (76 cm) measured straight across, not around. The Ashford Skeiner 2 holds and winds skeins from 40 to 78 in.

The swift holds the skein and the winder makes the cake, so most knitters use the two together. The Lacis Red Yarn Ball Winder II makes a 4 oz cake. For bigger put-ups, the Lacis Jumbo takes 10 oz and the Ashford hand and electric winders take up to 17 1/2 oz.

A swift holds a skein that's already wound. To wind a new skein off a bobbin or ball, the Ashford Skeiner 2 does both jobs. Its lock-in pegs set skein lengths from 40 to 78 in, and its tension guides suit yarn from fine to bulky art yarn.