Yarn Swift | Premium Plastic Umbrella Holder for Knitting & Crochet | Lightweight Portable | Smooth Operation | Sturdy Durable | Ideal for Wool Ball Winding

So I've been knitting for over ten years and finally decided maybe it would be easier to get a swift instead of using my knees to hold the yarn while I wind. But also, I didn't want to drop a ton of cash if I ended up not being into using one. So I decided to get this to try it out before getting a more expensive one. I don't need a more expensive one. This one is perfect. Easy to set up, easy to break down, quiet, light, and winds yarn just as well as a swift that costs three times as much. Also if you buy enough yarn it pays for itself in the money you save by not having to have your yarn store wind it for you. I will say it does look cheap. But it operates well, the clamp stays strong, it winds smoothly, and it doesn't take up a whole lot of space when you break it down. Don't let the appearance fool you.

It's not the strongest it could be, but for the price, I wasn't expecting that. That being said, it's not let me down yet and has been plenty sturdy for my needs. I didn't think I would have used it until I got a hank of yarn I needed to ball, but although I haven't had a hank to use on it yet, I've found it an invaluable companion to my yarn winder as it's much easier to correct issues with a skein while loading it on this swift than while I'm trying to wind it into a cake. So far, the most I've put on it at one time was 10.3 ounces, and it handled that without issue. It spins smoothly and flawlessly, and while the plastic handle on top isn't super strong, it's more than sturdy enough for the use it will get. (note: the handle has a bend in it. That is not a flaw as another reviewer seemed to think, and it doesn't make it weaker; just be aware that it's there) The only problem I've had with it so far is that the rings that connect the holder rods to the center rods sometimes fall out of the hooks, but I think that's something I can correct myself by tightening the clamps with some pliers. This is something the maker might considering improving on, though it's a minor issue and only happens when expanding or contracting the swift, and does not have any impact during use. Just a minor nuisance. Additionally, due to the thinness of the center post and the clamping mechanism, it does wobble just a bit during use, but nothing that causes problems with use, and again, for the price, "works as described" means an awful lot. I don't know if this will give me years of heavy use, but at the price, if I have to replace it every year or two to wear, I'd say it's still a bargain, and I'd buy it again.

I'm very pleased with my purchase. This is my first yarn swift. It was budget friendly, set up was easy, I like the rubber grips. It spins freely and it's quiet. I like that it has a storage case too. UPDATE: Subtracted a star. It works great when you're using a winder to cake up yarn. When you're using it to create a hank of yarn, you'll need to go slow cuz it wobbles. Also, if you're using wool to create a hank, be prepared for little static shocks.

Huge time saver! I have been using my knees instead of a yarn swift and I had enough of tangled Hank frustration after just two hanks of yarn. I think having a yarn swift even if you're only planning to wind 3-4 hanks a year is still absolutely worth the purchase. Seeing it spin freely is also very satisfying. This is not as aesthetic as a wooden swift, but it serves its purpose very well, lightweight, and is easy to store.

This makes a good gift for yarn hobbyists, I wouldn't say that it would support an extension cord wind-up (lol) but you could use this for 550 paracord as is seems durable. I purchased this for my mother, who has a low budget, before Christmas for her birthday in mid November. I was present during the unwrapping, opening, and set up to make sure everything functioned properly. We used two types of yarn during the 'testing phase' the wadded up skeins and the standard roll of yard. The skeins opened up to a big loop and we adjusted the tension accordingly to start the ball making (unwind). The we used a standard roll of yarn to start winding, like you'd buy at walmart, to ensure there would be no knotts when making a ball to delay the process. Come Christmas, she had made everyone something out of yarn. From slippers and stuffed animals to throw blankets and pretty good looking 'ugly Christmas sweaters'. I love my mom and theres not much i can do about her financial situation, but i can give her small things to enjoy what she does have for the long run and this is one of those things! The clip mounts are hand screw adjustable, fit mostly anything youd want to mount it to like the dining table or wooden chair armrests for portability. When the yarn snags, theres a slight chance of tangling if you're winding or unwinding at 'high speeds'. The momentum of the yarn will make you want to keep up with it. Works great with yarn and heavy duty enough to have use with paracord, which is probably 4 or 5 times denser than yarn. Seems large enough to hold 500 feet or more of yarn. To whomever wants to save time and hassle, this is for you.

I raise sheep and sell wool yarn, so I am skeining about 100 pounds of wool yarn each year. This swift is simple and cheap and does what it needs to do. I bought this because it was exactly like my last swift, which finally broke after 20 years. A few tips: -- It will wobble if you go too fast. I like to keep a nice, even pace. -- I keep a bit of red yarn tied to one of the points. This tells me where the "start" of my yarn is. I like to end by tying the end of the yarn to the beginning, so there are no loose ends flopping around. -- Because I am using a precious antique table as my work table, I clamp it with a sheet of paper around the table to protect the table. I'm not sure if it would leave a "bite" mark or not, but I'm not willing to risk it. The down side - it is UGLY. I mean, really ugly. This is the workhorse I use at home, but I bring a pretty wooden swift to my yarn shows when I'm showing off.

Good quality & price, & service from this seller.

I like the way this one tightens to my table compared to another slightly cheaper one I have. This one seems better and smoother to use and the case is a nice touch for easy storage.

Only used about four times. Set up is easy. Better than winding by hand. It does seem flimsy with the plastic pieces, but it's working and hasn't broken or given me any issues.

Great

Just got a yarn roller and a swift. I'm a brand new knitter, less than 6 weeks since I started knitting, and I was finding rolling balls of yarn by hand to be time consuming and boring. (15-20 minutes to roll a 200 yard ball of yarn from a skein.) I bought this swift and and yarn winder and it made it really easy. My wife and I bought 12 skeins of yarn today and it took me about 45 minutes from start to finish to roll all 12! (Instead of 2 1/2 - 3 hours!!) I wasn't sure about the swift when I was looking online - I thought it was a little flimsy looking but the reviews seemed pretty good and I took a chance on one. It arrived quickly from Amazon and it was very easy to set up. (Basically just pop the top off the container, attach it to a table with an adjustable screw, and the raise it like an umbrella.) When I was rolling the yarn I noticed that different skeins had different diameters. Unlike an umbrella, you can adjust the width of the swift without any problems and it spins very freely. I am very happy with my purchase. The only slight drawback to this swift is that it's just a little tight to get it back into it's blue plastic carry case. If the case was about an inch longer and a 1/2 inch wider it would be a little nicer - but that's just me being picky. I'm very happy with it and I would recommend it to anyone.