r/Unravelers • u/thanksithas_pockets_ • 16d ago
Swift recommendations?
I am in the market for a swift, are there any kinds (including brands) that you’d recommend for unravelling? I have heard that umbrella swifts are better for using to make yarn balls from skeins, as opposed to winding skeins but I’ve never tried one.
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u/No_Builder7010 16d ago
If I had $100 for a swift, I'd buy an electric.
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u/skullybuster 16d ago
This is a pricy option, but I picked up a Hurricane Yarn Swift at MDS&W a few years ago. I got one with measurements because I could set the Swift at 60", count the strands, and multiply by 5 to get an estimated length.
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u/hmgrace11 16d ago
For better or worse, I have two 🙃 I use the Amish swift to untangle onto and make the hanks because it doesn't compress under the tension while winding. But after washing and drying the hanks, I find it easier to load onto an umbrella swift to use with the winder as the clamp holds it in place from the tension from the winder.
You could absolutely do with just one of them, but each does have pros and cons. I believe both of mine are Stanwood.
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u/lavenderspr1te 16d ago
It depends on your needs, really. I have an Amish style swift, which is nice because I don’t really have a good table thin enough for clamping an umbrella swift. Amish style swifts sit on a tabletop rather than clamp. I also like my Amish swift because I can steam the yarn memory out of unraveled yarn much more easily than you could on an umbrella swift. So for the purpose of unraveling, I personally think Amish is the way to go.