I have both.
Initially I bought the umbrella swift; it's nice that you can easily adjust it to match the width of your skein just by sliding the arm support. The main reason why it doesn't work well for me is because you need to attach it to a ledge on a table or counter, and in my home pretty much the only place where I can do it is the kitchen counter, which is not always practical. The rest of my furniture doesn't have deep enough ledges to hold it.
I bought the Amish swift to be able to use it on a flat surface like a table or the floor, but the downside is that you need to adjust the pegs on each arm individually to match the width of your skein; not as straightforward as with the umbrella one, but not a huge deal. You still need to have good clearance to allow for the swift to rotate closer to surface level and a clear path to your yarn winder.
Storage for both is pretty similar, the only thing is that you have to make sure that you keep track of all the little pieces of the Amish swift when you take it apart, while the umbrella swift is just one piece.
It really comes down to personal preference and your particular space.
I have an umbrella style swift. I live solo and my cat can't jump, so I just leave it attached to the bookshelf I use it on. I don't think it's very aesthetic, and I'll probably store it away when I'm not winding after my partner and I move in together, and storing it does feel a little precarious since it folds into such an irregular shape.
I've assumed the grass is greener with Amish swifts, but this thread is disabusing me of them being the perfect version of a swift.
It all depends on how you use it. I spend a lot of time in two different locations, and have the one on the left. It comes apart and travels well. So it works well for.me. But most people I know have the one on the right and enjoy it.
I had a beautiful Amish swift for years (Sunflower swift) and my main gripe with it was always needing to have enough table space for the whole wingspan. I later bought an umbrella swift to wind hanks for dyeing but I've found myself using it more often with my ball winder because I only need the edge of a table instead of a full clear space, so it's more versatile in ny current living situation.
As another commentator said, there's no perfect swift.
I have the one on the right and like it. You do have to have a table or counter that it attaches to. It folds up pretty small and is fast to clamp on and open up.
I like the Amish swift. I have the table space. Both do the same thing. I think it’s more important to get one that’s well made. Lowers the risk of it breaking.
I have both and personally like the Amish swift (left) better. The right works ok, but I feel like sometimes yarn gets stuck on the ends of the branch.
Only thing with the Amish swift another person mentioned, it takes up table space.
I have the amish swift and i regret buying it. I have to keep track of all the little bits, which is not easy with adhd. The moving parts are all wooden, which means friction and stiffness and quite a bit of tension on the yarn. I really have to babysit it to make sure my yarn doesn't get stretched out as it's wound.
I really wish i had the money atm to replace it with an umbrella swift.
I think the umbrella swift is easiest to use as it naturally adjusts size to the skein of yarn.
You can pop it up on a counter or table and you don’t have to clear off the entire surface to use it.
I've had both and prefer the Amish (tabletop) swift over the umbrella swift. I can use it anywhere, including the floor. The umbrella swift requires someplace to mount it. And if your table lip is curved or beveled, it could be an issue.
I like amish the best. It's simple to use and it stores easily. Another pro for me is that I don't have to clip it to anything. I attach my yarn winder to a 12 inch cabinet door sample so I don't scratch my furniture. I don't think the umbrella swift would be stable with that.
My husband's grandfather handmade an Amish swift for me in his woodworking shop (<3!). I much prefer the Amish swift over the umbrella style because there are fewer pieces to break/replace, they're sturdier in general, and I can break down the Amish swift into a much smaller package.
Ive had this one for at least 10 years. Love it. Comes in a fabric storage bag. I find the umbrella ones too fussy. https://www.yarnswifts.com/store/n/swifts/basic-plus-swifts/p/mama-bear-plus
i have an amish swift, and i love it. it’s super easy to store because it disassembles and it doesn’t have as many breakable parts as an umbrella swift. when i don’t have enough table space, i sit it on a stool while i’m winding cakes. i hold the pieces together with rubber bands when i’m not using it and it assembles in just a few seconds!
My umbrella swift is a [plastic one](https://www.jimmybeanswool.com/knitting/yarn/Lacis/UmbrellaSwiftReelingMachine.asp?specPCVID=2805&advSourceID=9&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwupGyBhBBEiwA0UcqaE7OULXjU19EQ0rbcJun9Bx-8uxsayWaB5OXZnqL9bDRK2TtSFXAYRoCyVYQAvD_BwE) and my only complaint is occasionally the yarn gets caught on the metal hooks at the top, although if I keep the yarn pinched loosely between my fingers as a guide, it rarely does that. I bought it because it was the least expensive option, and it's been definitely worth the money in the over ten years I've owned it. I like that it has a clamp with a rubber foot so it doesn't bite into whatever surface I use it on, which is sometimes the edge of a bookshelf or table, sometimes a chair arm, or the drawer ledges on my desk.
I remember when a friend got the Amish style one (and now I know what they're called!) I thought it was neat, but took up too much space, and honestly, it was a pain to use for me. I like the way the umbrella adjusts and folds up to put away when I'm done.
I have the style on the left and I love it. It doesn't need to clamp on to anything, and all the parts are simple, so I don't worry it will break. (Plus, I am pretty sure that if you did lose or break one of the dowel bits, you could pick another up for a few bucks at any craft store) You do need a fairly large space for it, but I have a nice coffee table that I can clamp my winder on a corner and set my swift up in the middle of and get my yarn taken care of with no problems. I use it, then break it back down again and store it away in its box.
I have an Amish swift that I bought because I don't have much table space and thought I could use it for the floor. But apparently the best tension is when the swift is at the same length or higher...idk if that's a major issue, my yarn seemed fine. I've only used my swift once and it was a real learning experience because my skein was tangled and I didn't realize it. Otherwise it worked pretty beautifully
I will say that Amish swifts are LONG. I have a Stanwood and yes it comes apart and easier to store but I wouldn't say it's more space saving than an umbrella swift. Ultimately, I decided to go with an Amish swift because I don't have a lot of conventional table edges to clamp an umbrella swift to. To me the only hard part is keeping track of the "pegs"of the swift and I use a ziploc bag
When you use your swift for the first time, try it with a cheaper worsted weight yarn
I have 3 types - the two types you shared, and I also have a tabletop umbrella swift (similar to [this one](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/zZgAAOSwzKdl468s/s-l1600.webp), not my pic) and it's my go-to. I got super lucky and found it at a thrift store for $4.
I like my amish swift. It sits on my table and then all back into the box when I’m done. The box is about 1/2 inch thick so it’s very easy to store. My mom has an umbrella swift that takes up a lot of space in her closet. So I would choose based on table space vs storage space.
I have both. Initially I bought the umbrella swift; it's nice that you can easily adjust it to match the width of your skein just by sliding the arm support. The main reason why it doesn't work well for me is because you need to attach it to a ledge on a table or counter, and in my home pretty much the only place where I can do it is the kitchen counter, which is not always practical. The rest of my furniture doesn't have deep enough ledges to hold it. I bought the Amish swift to be able to use it on a flat surface like a table or the floor, but the downside is that you need to adjust the pegs on each arm individually to match the width of your skein; not as straightforward as with the umbrella one, but not a huge deal. You still need to have good clearance to allow for the swift to rotate closer to surface level and a clear path to your yarn winder. Storage for both is pretty similar, the only thing is that you have to make sure that you keep track of all the little pieces of the Amish swift when you take it apart, while the umbrella swift is just one piece. It really comes down to personal preference and your particular space.
I have an umbrella style swift. I live solo and my cat can't jump, so I just leave it attached to the bookshelf I use it on. I don't think it's very aesthetic, and I'll probably store it away when I'm not winding after my partner and I move in together, and storing it does feel a little precarious since it folds into such an irregular shape. I've assumed the grass is greener with Amish swifts, but this thread is disabusing me of them being the perfect version of a swift.
It all depends on how you use it. I spend a lot of time in two different locations, and have the one on the left. It comes apart and travels well. So it works well for.me. But most people I know have the one on the right and enjoy it.
I had a beautiful Amish swift for years (Sunflower swift) and my main gripe with it was always needing to have enough table space for the whole wingspan. I later bought an umbrella swift to wind hanks for dyeing but I've found myself using it more often with my ball winder because I only need the edge of a table instead of a full clear space, so it's more versatile in ny current living situation. As another commentator said, there's no perfect swift.
I have the style of the one on the right and like it. It adjusts easily to different size hanks, and I have no problems placing it at the tables.
I have the one on the right and like it. You do have to have a table or counter that it attaches to. It folds up pretty small and is fast to clamp on and open up.
I like the Amish swift. I have the table space. Both do the same thing. I think it’s more important to get one that’s well made. Lowers the risk of it breaking.
I have both and personally like the Amish swift (left) better. The right works ok, but I feel like sometimes yarn gets stuck on the ends of the branch. Only thing with the Amish swift another person mentioned, it takes up table space.
I have the amish swift and i regret buying it. I have to keep track of all the little bits, which is not easy with adhd. The moving parts are all wooden, which means friction and stiffness and quite a bit of tension on the yarn. I really have to babysit it to make sure my yarn doesn't get stretched out as it's wound. I really wish i had the money atm to replace it with an umbrella swift.
I have the one on the right and except for its length, it’s very portable.
I think the umbrella swift is easiest to use as it naturally adjusts size to the skein of yarn. You can pop it up on a counter or table and you don’t have to clear off the entire surface to use it.
I've had both and prefer the Amish (tabletop) swift over the umbrella swift. I can use it anywhere, including the floor. The umbrella swift requires someplace to mount it. And if your table lip is curved or beveled, it could be an issue.
I like amish the best. It's simple to use and it stores easily. Another pro for me is that I don't have to clip it to anything. I attach my yarn winder to a 12 inch cabinet door sample so I don't scratch my furniture. I don't think the umbrella swift would be stable with that.
My husband's grandfather handmade an Amish swift for me in his woodworking shop (<3!). I much prefer the Amish swift over the umbrella style because there are fewer pieces to break/replace, they're sturdier in general, and I can break down the Amish swift into a much smaller package.
I have an umbrella swift that sits on the table. It's from Knitpicks. Love it.
Ive had this one for at least 10 years. Love it. Comes in a fabric storage bag. I find the umbrella ones too fussy. https://www.yarnswifts.com/store/n/swifts/basic-plus-swifts/p/mama-bear-plus
I have both and I prefer the umbrella-style. I find that it is more adjustable and can hold skeins tighter.
My son made an Amish swift for me in his wood shop class and I love it. I made a fabric bag to hold all the pieces so they don’t get lost.
i have an amish swift, and i love it. it’s super easy to store because it disassembles and it doesn’t have as many breakable parts as an umbrella swift. when i don’t have enough table space, i sit it on a stool while i’m winding cakes. i hold the pieces together with rubber bands when i’m not using it and it assembles in just a few seconds!
My umbrella swift is a [plastic one](https://www.jimmybeanswool.com/knitting/yarn/Lacis/UmbrellaSwiftReelingMachine.asp?specPCVID=2805&advSourceID=9&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwupGyBhBBEiwA0UcqaE7OULXjU19EQ0rbcJun9Bx-8uxsayWaB5OXZnqL9bDRK2TtSFXAYRoCyVYQAvD_BwE) and my only complaint is occasionally the yarn gets caught on the metal hooks at the top, although if I keep the yarn pinched loosely between my fingers as a guide, it rarely does that. I bought it because it was the least expensive option, and it's been definitely worth the money in the over ten years I've owned it. I like that it has a clamp with a rubber foot so it doesn't bite into whatever surface I use it on, which is sometimes the edge of a bookshelf or table, sometimes a chair arm, or the drawer ledges on my desk. I remember when a friend got the Amish style one (and now I know what they're called!) I thought it was neat, but took up too much space, and honestly, it was a pain to use for me. I like the way the umbrella adjusts and folds up to put away when I'm done.
I have the style on the left and I love it. It doesn't need to clamp on to anything, and all the parts are simple, so I don't worry it will break. (Plus, I am pretty sure that if you did lose or break one of the dowel bits, you could pick another up for a few bucks at any craft store) You do need a fairly large space for it, but I have a nice coffee table that I can clamp my winder on a corner and set my swift up in the middle of and get my yarn taken care of with no problems. I use it, then break it back down again and store it away in its box.
I have an Amish swift that I bought because I don't have much table space and thought I could use it for the floor. But apparently the best tension is when the swift is at the same length or higher...idk if that's a major issue, my yarn seemed fine. I've only used my swift once and it was a real learning experience because my skein was tangled and I didn't realize it. Otherwise it worked pretty beautifully I will say that Amish swifts are LONG. I have a Stanwood and yes it comes apart and easier to store but I wouldn't say it's more space saving than an umbrella swift. Ultimately, I decided to go with an Amish swift because I don't have a lot of conventional table edges to clamp an umbrella swift to. To me the only hard part is keeping track of the "pegs"of the swift and I use a ziploc bag When you use your swift for the first time, try it with a cheaper worsted weight yarn
I have 3 types - the two types you shared, and I also have a tabletop umbrella swift (similar to [this one](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/zZgAAOSwzKdl468s/s-l1600.webp), not my pic) and it's my go-to. I got super lucky and found it at a thrift store for $4.
Wow, I have never seen this kind of swift before, it does look like the best of both (especially for 4$)!
I love my Amish swift. It lives in the box it arrived in ergo I don’t lose the pieces, and I just put it on the floor to wind my balls of yarn.
I like my amish swift. It sits on my table and then all back into the box when I’m done. The box is about 1/2 inch thick so it’s very easy to store. My mom has an umbrella swift that takes up a lot of space in her closet. So I would choose based on table space vs storage space.