On the subject of swifts

[pensnest]

My birthday is approaching, and my Beast is looking into buying me a swift, for he is a good Beast. However, he doesn't know anything about swifts, and I don't know much more, so I wonder if anyone here might have some advice?

I'm more of a dk/aran knitter than a lace knitter, so presumably I'll need something reasonably sturdy. Beyond that, we neither of us really know what to look for. Are there any recommended brands or styles? Any that we should avoid? Is having the arms tied together with string a good thing or a bad one?

We're in the UK, and it would seem sensible to order one in this country rather than on the other side of the Atlantic, but even so, examples of the ideal would at least give us something to look at!

Comments

[adonnchaid]

Actually, the last "swift" picture (vertical implement, front left)(and the same thing seen in the right edge of the second pic) is a clock reel, which is used for creating skeins of yarn of a specific length. Yarn from cones or balls, or from spinning wheel spindles is wound around the clock reel, creating the skein, and the clock mechanism "clicks" when the finished length is wound.

[woolychicken]

Ah cool, thank you! The label on them only said yarn swift and did not give any further info. Now I know why I was having trouble finding out more about them :-)