A swift can be as simple as four rods fixed into an axis, with bands connecting them. By sliding the bands the effective diameter changes, for different sized hanks.[1] However, most swifts are more complicated than this.
The 'umbrella swift' is one of the more common varieties, the advantage of it being that it folds up when not in use. Wooden umbrella swifts are the most common type of swift in use. They are preferred by hand spinners because they fold up, which is good for storage, and they are generally more stable, of higher quality, and look nicer than metal umbrella swifts.
Another type is the 'Amish style' swift, a rotating cross with positionable pegs to adjust for different diameters of hanks.
A spinners weasel is similar to a swift, however it does not adjust to various sized hanks. While today this is a big disadvantage, as different manufacturers don't always make hanks the same size, it was not an issue when all yarn was hand spun. At this time hanks from one spinner would all be the same size, as they would have been made on the same niddy noddy, thus only one diameter was needed.
A simple vertical-axis swift, for making multi-ply thread
A horizontal-axis swift, the hank borne on a thread that zigzags between spokes
A horizontal-axis swift, the hank borne on horizontal dowels between spokes
Vertical-axis swift made with a grown tripod base; note hole for adjusting circumference
Illustration of a hydraulic spinner from
Novo teatro di machine et edificii by
Vittorio Zonca, 1607
A Slovenian swift
A spinner's weasel, with gearing for counting rotations and thus measuring length.
Common substitutes
In the modern day spinners' weasels are even less common than swifts.
One substitute for a swift is to have someone else hold the hank.[4] This has several disadvantages however, first a willing second person has to be found, and secondly unless the other person has had a lot of practice holding hanks, the yarn winds off a swift much better. Yarn tends to catch on the hands and wristwatches of the person holding the hank, and a swift has neither hand nor watch to catch the yarn.
Another common substitute is the back of a chair. The disadvantages of this is that the hank is not kept under tension, and thus the yarn has a tendency to get tangled, and one has to stop very often to untangle it.