The Amish style and the umbrella swift are most popular styles of yarn swift. But which is the best? Here’s a comparison between the best models so you can see what’s right for you.
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I reviewed, fact checked and updated this post on April 12, 2023.
Table Of Contents
- Stanwood Needlecraft Tabletop Amish Style Swift
- CHIAOGOO Amish Design Wooden Yarn Swift
- Stanwood Wooden Umbrella Yarn Swift
- Schacht Swift
- What Is A Swift for Yarn?
- Amish Swift Vs Umbrella Swift
Best Amish Swift
Stanwood Needlecraft Tabletop Amish Style Swift
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Stanwood is known for its umbrella style swifts. This model is made with the same quality, attention to detail, and hardwood. An excellent tabletop yarn swift.
Pros
- Solid wood, smooth surface, sanded and polished
- Holds skeins between 2 1/2 – 6 ft circumference
- Non-slip pads
- Easy assembly and disassembly
- Convenient storage
- Spins smoothly
Cons
- Friction when spinning
- Squeaks
CHIAOGOO Amish Design Wooden Yarn Swift
Chiaogoo makes this superb quality swift made with solid wood on the market for wooden yarn swifts. It’s wood, and suitable for a permanent or temporary home setup.
Pros
- Four adjustable pegs to hold hank sizes
- Non-skid pads to prevent accidental slipping
- Quick and easy assembly
- Last for years, and it has a high star rating
- This Amish swift Spins smoothly
- Cheap and lightweight
Cons
- Not sturdy
- Makes a squeaking noise
Best Umbrella Swift
Stanwood Wooden Umbrella Yarn Swifts
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This Stanwood umbrella is a popular model of yarn swift. A quiet workhorse of sanded birch.
Pros
- Holds a skein up to 6 ft in circumference
- Medium-sized, and the clamp fits surfaces of up to 1 3/4″ thick
- Excellent quality materials
- Minimal assembly
- Efficient
- Lasts a long time
Cons
- Expensive
- Limited clamping capacity
- Sometimes the screw is faulty, but Stanwood replaces it
- The umbrella slips if you don’t secure it
Knitter’s Pride Yarn Ball Swift
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Made of high density solid wood materials, this quality tool is smooth, and it holds a yarn hank of up to 60″ in circumference.
Pros
- The adjustable clamp fits most surfaces
- Stable
- Smooth when winding yarn
- Quiet
Cons
- Expensive
Amish Swift Vs Umbrella
Here’s a rundown of the differences and similarities of the styles.
The Differences
- The Amish swift sits flat on a tabletop
- The other clamps to a surface
- An umbrella swift is more comfortable to assemble and less bulky
- It’s also easier to storage
- The umbrella expands to fit any size of yarn, and a quick umbrella is more comfortable to set up and less fiddly.
- The Amish yarn swift has adjustable pegs, and vertical swifts work the same way.
- The Amish don’t require a clamp, less likely to damage a surface
- Some find an umbrella one more comfortable to use
- Amishes hold larger hanks than the other option
The Similarities
- They’re designed to hold the skein or hank while you wind it
- They spin on a flat axis
- They’re available in plastic and metal or hardwood
- Prices to suit every budget
- They work with all types of fiber.
Kristine Kelly from Ewe University gives a rundown of the styles.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this comparison of these two styles of yarn swifts helped you. Which do you prefer?
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