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Swift (textiles)
Encyclopedia
For other uses, see Swift (disambiguation)
A swift is a tool used to hold a skein
of yarn
while it is being wound off. It has an adjustable diameter so that it can hold skeins of many sizes, and rotates around a central rod. They are generally made out of wood or metal, however other materials may also be used. In the 18th and 19th centuries, swifts were sometimes made of whale
ivory
and they are now sought-after antiques. Swifts are not used very much in the textile industry, but are used more by knitters
and crochet
ers who buy their yarn in skein form. The swift allows for easy balling, without the yarn getting tangled and knotted.
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.
A spinners weasel
is similar to a swift, however it does not adjust to various sized skeins. While today this is a big disadvantage, as different manufacturers don't always make skeins the same size, it was not an issue when all yarn was hand spun. At this time skeins 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.
One substitute for a swift is to have someone else hold the skein. 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 skeins, the yarn winds off a swift much better. Yarn tends to catch on the hands and wristwatches of the person holding the skein, 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 skein 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.
of yarn
. An increasing percentage of yarn is sold in skein form, especially hand dyed or hand spun yarns, which necessitates balling for knitters
and crochet
ers. Swifts are also sometimes used by weavers
in preparing the warp
: if the yarn for the warp comes in a skein, the warp can be wound directly onto the warping board from the swift. As weaving yarns generally come on cones though, this use isn't as prevalent.
Swift (disambiguation)
-Zoology:* Swifts, birds in the order Apodiformes* Swift butterflies, several genera in the skipper butterfly tribe Gegenini* Swift lizards, iguanian lizards typically of the genus Sceloporus** Snow swift lizards, of the iguanian genus Liolaemus...
Skein
Skein may refer to:* A flock of geese or ducks in V formation flight* A wound ball of yarn with a center pull strand, see hank* TV Series, used part of Variety's slanguage.* Skein dubh, a Scottish knife* Skein module, a mathematical concept...
of yarn
Yarn
Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibres, suitable for use in the production of textiles, sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery and ropemaking. Thread is a type of yarn intended for sewing by hand or machine. Modern manufactured sewing threads may be finished with wax or...
while it is being wound off. It has an adjustable diameter so that it can hold skeins of many sizes, and rotates around a central rod. They are generally made out of wood or metal, however other materials may also be used. In the 18th and 19th centuries, swifts were sometimes made of whale
Whale
Whale is the common name for various marine mammals of the order Cetacea. The term whale sometimes refers to all cetaceans, but more often it excludes dolphins and porpoises, which belong to suborder Odontoceti . This suborder also includes the sperm whale, killer whale, pilot whale, and beluga...
ivory
Ivory
Ivory is a term for dentine, which constitutes the bulk of the teeth and tusks of animals, when used as a material for art or manufacturing. Ivory has been important since ancient times for making a range of items, from ivory carvings to false teeth, fans, dominoes, joint tubes, piano keys and...
and they are now sought-after antiques. Swifts are not used very much in the textile industry, but are used more by knitters
Knitting
Knitting is a method by which thread or yarn may be turned into cloth or other fine crafts. Knitted fabric consists of consecutive rows of loops, called stitches. As each row progresses, a new loop is pulled through an existing loop. The active stitches are held on a needle until another loop can...
and crochet
Crochet
Crochet is a process of creating fabric from yarn, thread, or other material strands using a crochet hook. The word is derived from the French word "crochet", meaning hook. Hooks can be made of materials such as metals, woods or plastic and are commercially manufactured as well as produced by...
ers who buy their yarn in skein form. The swift allows for easy balling, without the yarn getting tangled and knotted.
Types
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 skeins. 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
Spinning (textiles)
Spinning is a major industry. It is part of the textile manufacturing process where three types of fibre are converted into yarn, then fabric, then textiles. The textiles are then fabricated into clothes or other artifacts. There are three industrial processes available to spin yarn, and a...
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.
Spinners weasel
Spinner's weasel or clock reel is a mechanical yarn measuring device consisting of a spoked wheel with gears attached to a pointer on a marked face and an internal mechanism which makes a "pop" sound after the desired length of yarn is measured . The pointer allows the spinner to see how close...
is similar to a swift, however it does not adjust to various sized skeins. While today this is a big disadvantage, as different manufacturers don't always make skeins the same size, it was not an issue when all yarn was hand spun. At this time skeins from one spinner would all be the same size, as they would have been made on the same niddy noddy
Niddy noddy
A niddy-noddy is a tool used to make skeins from yarn. It consists of a central bar, with crossbars at each end, offset from each other by 90°. The central bar is generally carved to make it easier to hold. Either one of the crossbars will have a flat edge to allow the skein to slide off, or will...
, thus only one diameter was needed.
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 skein. 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 skeins, the yarn winds off a swift much better. Yarn tends to catch on the hands and wristwatches of the person holding the skein, 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 skein 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.
Uses
Swifts are most commonly used to ball a skeinSkein
Skein may refer to:* A flock of geese or ducks in V formation flight* A wound ball of yarn with a center pull strand, see hank* TV Series, used part of Variety's slanguage.* Skein dubh, a Scottish knife* Skein module, a mathematical concept...
of yarn
Yarn
Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibres, suitable for use in the production of textiles, sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery and ropemaking. Thread is a type of yarn intended for sewing by hand or machine. Modern manufactured sewing threads may be finished with wax or...
. An increasing percentage of yarn is sold in skein form, especially hand dyed or hand spun yarns, which necessitates balling for knitters
Knitting
Knitting is a method by which thread or yarn may be turned into cloth or other fine crafts. Knitted fabric consists of consecutive rows of loops, called stitches. As each row progresses, a new loop is pulled through an existing loop. The active stitches are held on a needle until another loop can...
and crochet
Crochet
Crochet is a process of creating fabric from yarn, thread, or other material strands using a crochet hook. The word is derived from the French word "crochet", meaning hook. Hooks can be made of materials such as metals, woods or plastic and are commercially manufactured as well as produced by...
ers. Swifts are also sometimes used by weavers
Weaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
in preparing the warp
Warp (weaving)
In weaving cloth, the warp is the set of lengthwise yarns that are held in tension on a frame or loom. The yarn that is inserted over-and-under the warp threads is called the weft, woof, or filler. Each individual warp thread in a fabric is called a warp end or end. Warp means "that which is thrown...
: if the yarn for the warp comes in a skein, the warp can be wound directly onto the warping board from the swift. As weaving yarns generally come on cones though, this use isn't as prevalent.