Working With An Umbrella Swift and Ball Winder

This is an umbrella swift.

I bought it for Liz for Christmas, but only had a vague sense of what it was used for. Paired with a ball winder, this device helps turn hanks (large loops) of yarn into tightly wound balls of yarn.

If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, check out the photos (near the bottom of the page) from the 2009 Northern Illinois Alpaca Extravaganza.

Here’s how the device works:

Here’s a hank of yarn stretched out on the umbrella.

And here’s the ball winder. Both devices attach to the side of a desk or table.

Liz, cutting off the few bands that hold the hank of yarn together.

And the final product! Er, that is until Liz turns this into a pair of gloves…

For those interested, both items are made by Knit Picks. I bought the Umbrella Swift from Amazon, but Liz picked up the ball winder later from the KnitPicks.com site (I just bought the Umbrella Swift and didn’t realize both items needed to go together – doh).

Umbrella Swift

by Knit Picks