How to Use a Yarn Winder & Swift
Yarn ball winders and swifts are very helpful tools for knitters. While some skeins of yarn come in a ready-to-knit form, others come in twisted loops called hanks, which are very difficult to knit from. Yarn ball winders and swifts allow a knitter to wind yarn from a hank into a cake, which is a ball with flat tops and bottoms. Cakes are convenient because the yarn can be pulled from the center without the cake moving, and the cake can be stored easily.
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Instructions
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Winding a Yarn Cake
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1
Secure the swift. Many swifts come with a piece that allows them to be mounted on the side of a table; some come on tabletop stands. Make sure the swift does not rock or move easily.
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2
Secure the ball winder. Like swifts, many ball winders come with a piece that allows them to be mounted on the side of the table. Some winders come with handles that allow the knitter to hold the winder as she uses it.
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3
Untwist the hank and remove any holding threads. Holding threads are separate short pieces of yarn that some hanks have threaded through the loop at various intervals to prevent the yarn from tangling.
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4
Remove the knot holding the two ends of the yarn together. Pull one end out several inches so that it does not get wrapped up in the hank.
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5
Drape the hank over the swift, and if necessary, adjust the swift so that the yarn is taut but not pulled tightly. Some swifts open out like umbrellas to pull out against the yarn and hold it in place. Other swifts are wider on the bottom like lamp shades so that the yarn is held in place by gravity.
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6
Attach the yarn end to the ball winder. Some winders have a small loop to thread the yarn through for tensioning. The yarn is secured at the top of the cylinder using one or two small notches.
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7
Hold the yarn securely, but not tightly, in your non-windng hand. This allows the yarn to run through your hand before getting to the winder, making it easier to detect any knots or poorly spun areas in the hank.
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8
Begin winding with the other. Start winding slowly to avoid dislocating the yarn on the winder. Once a few rotations have been completed, you can wind more quickly. Whether you wind slowly or quickly, keep winding at the same pace in order to ensure an evenly tensioned ball. Changes in winding speeds could result in some areas of the ball being pulled tight, while others are loose, which could increase tangling.
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