Knitting
Amish-style Wooden Yarn Swift Winder — Portable Tabletop Swift
Product description
Materials and build: This yarn winder is fashioned from hardwood components designed to be lightweight yet sturdy enough for everyday knitting and craft use. The kit is meant for tabletop finishing and manual winding without electricity, relying on a flat cross base and simple hardware to hold yarn hanks in place while you wind.
Portability and dimensions: One of the main selling points is how compact it becomes when disassembled. The main wooden strip measures approximately 42 x 2.4 x 1.65 cm (about 16.5 x 0.94 x 0.65 in), making the unit easy to carry, store, or tuck into a project bag. It’s intended for crafters who want to wind yarn on the go or set up a swift at a small workspace.
How it’s used: The manual design keeps operation simple — assemble the pieces, place a hank around the adjustable arms, and turn by hand to feed yarn onto a ball winder or wind by hand. It’s compatible with fine yarns and embroidery threads, helping to organize loose skeins and reduce knots and tangles. Assembly and disassembly are tool-free and can be done in a few minutes.
Included parts and measurements: The kit includes multiple wooden plates and arms plus hardware. Component dimensions (approx): wood pieces 350 x 34 x 33 mm with two 7 mm holes; wood strips 420 x 24 x 16.5 mm with 7 mm and 5 mm holes (two pieces); one screw 62 x 11.5 mm and one pin 5.7 mm; eight sticks 121 x 5 mm; two small findings (11 x 23.5 x 9.5 mm with 5.2 mm hole and 11 x 10 x 4.5 mm with 5.2 mm hole); and six rings 14 x 1 mm with 6.2 mm holes. These parts combine to form the cross base, center shaft and removable arms that support the hank.
Pros
- Lightweight and portable; breaks down for travel
- Simple manual design that’s quick to assemble
- Includes multiple arms and hardware for setup
Cons
- Diameter is too small for many full-size hanks
- Some pieces can feel thin or slightly rough
- Not suitable for heavy or bulky yarns
VerdictA compact, well-made wooden swift that folds flat and handles light to medium winding tasks. The construction and included parts make assembly straightforward, and it’s handy for embroidery floss and tiny skeins. However, its diameter is limited — many full-size hanks won’t fit — and some units feel a bit rough or delicate. Buy it if you need a small, portable option; skip it if you need to wind l
Reviews
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Susan Mortara 1/5
Too small even at max spread
Even when opened fully it’s far too compact. Useless for the hanks I buy — only practical if you make extremely short 1-yard hanks.
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dena royal 2/5
Flimsy and undersized
Construction felt weak and the wood was rough. It’s too small for a real skein — I found it easier to wind on the back of a chair.
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Annette Edghill 1/5
Far too small for lace hanks
Zero stars from me. I ignored comments about size and bought this for a lace-weight cashmere mini hank — it won’t hold a mini hank. It’s only suitable for very tiny skeins like embroidery thread. You’ll be let down if you expect larger hank capacity.
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Marlene 3/5
Check measurements first
You need to verify the dimensions — this is for small hanks. Otherwise assembly and disassembly are very simple.
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R. Pathammavong 4/5
Assembly instructions would help
Not the most handy person here, so instructions would have been useful. It looks as pictured and works okay. Good value for what it offers.
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Maggie 3/5
Needed a larger diameter
This won’t fit a standard indie-dyed hank. The yarn slipped off while winding. Assembly and takedown are easy, but the wood is light and the whole unit is just too small for typical skeins.
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Desiree Arms 5/5
Ideal for embroidery floss skeins
Perfect match for my many floss skeins. The smallest holes work great for floss without drilling. My larger yarn swift was too bulky for tiny skeins — this one makes winding them simple. I love it!
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Cindy 1/5
Hardware problems and splits
Not a high-quality unit. Some hardware didn’t match and one wooden piece arrived split. I can’t recommend it.
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Froogsey 4/5
Does the job for me
Many negative comments online but I bought it anyway since it seemed affordable. It’s basic but not as tiny as some claimed and fits my regular skeins. I plan to build a stand to make it look like a small windmill.
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Sue Johnston 1/5
Returned due to size
I should have trusted the other reviews — it was definitely too small. Most of my skeins were larger than the swift’s diameter, so I ended up returning it.
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Kelso,WA 1/5
Not useful for regular yarn
Way too small unless you only have miniature skeins. Should have checked reviews — not suitable for winding standard knitting wool hanks.
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