Swift FAQs:

How big of a skein will the swift hold?

It will hold up to a 2yd or 2m skein.  That is on the large side for hand-dyed yarn, most skeins will be in the 1.5 - 1.75yd range.  Note that this measurement is the circumference of a skein - check out our video on yarn measurements and why talking about swifts in terms of length of yarn in a skein makes no sense.  At all.  Whatsoever.  Like why would we do that.  And please trust us that even that giant 8oz hand of bulky hand-dyed yarn is likely skeined at 2yds.  


How heavy of a skein will the swift hold?

Most skeins are in the 4oz/100g vicinity, but we've put 8oz skeins on it.  We recommend opening the swift a little bit, putting the yarn around it, then gently pushing the collar up the rest of the way until it's lightly snug against the skein.  Note that you never want to push the swift open with a lot of force and you don't want to try to put all the tension you can on the skein - this is bad for any swift, it's bad for the yarn, and it's worse for winding a nice ball.  The yarn needs a small bit of room to wiggle, to pull out from under itself, to undo any minor snags during winding.


Why do these swifts cost $150?

We basically can't produce them for any less.  We don't have the hundreds of thousands of dollars it would cost to make these in quantities of 10,000 or more, which is what it would take to significantly lower the cost.  And you definitely wouldn't be able to choose your own colors if that were the situation.  We've done our best to optimize materials cost and design for manufacturability, but making things in batches of hundreds costs more.  Know that your dollars are going to keep a small business of mainly 2 people running, with health care, and paid time off.  Alpenglow Yarn has been around in some form since 2009, your support ensures that we'll be around for another 10 years and able to support our products.


What's up with the lead time?

We offer so many different colors that the number of possible combinations is 3042.  So we build swifts to order, after orders are received.  We build them in batches for efficiency, and sometimes by color or material.  Our typical leadtime is 2-3 weeks, but sometimes we're on vacation or travelling for shows, so it can be up to 6 weeks.

  

What happens if I get my swift and I don't like it?

You may return your swift if you are in the US and contact us within 14 days of receiving it. You must fill out a return request form first, so we can look up your records and know to expect it. Returns are subject to the same 5% fee detailed above, the initial shipping cost to you is non-refundable, and you pay for return shipping. We highly recommend that returns are packaged in the same box and packing materials they arrived in, and that you insure your package for the full value of the item. We will not be able to fully refund any items that arrived damaged or are lost in transit. International sales are final due to the time and expense of shipping and import/export considerations.


What kind of customer support do you provide?

We support our tools.  We want you to be a happy customer.  Please understand that we are a small business and we cannot provide phone support.  We also do not provide support through social media messages, as it is impossible to properly record and track.  All support is handled through email and the contact form on this website.   We can usually respond within 1-2 business days.  When you contact us, the more information you can provide, the better.  We may ask for photos or a short video, as this helps us identify problems quickly and accurately, and it helps us verify colors for swifts.


How well will this swift hold up?

Like any tool, if you take care of it, it will last for years and years!  This swift does have moving parts which will eventually wear, and we've designed in some consumable parts like washers that are easy and cheap to replace.  A typical knitter may hardly see any wear on their swift and use it for decades.  Yarn stores, dyers, and businesses winding 10+ skeins per day will see more wear and may need to occasionally replace parts.

  

What can cause the swift to break?

It's important to note that this swift is not indestructible.  If you abuse the swift, if you literally throw it around, sit on it, put a suitcase or heavy object on it, pack it without taking precautions to properly cushion it, or if it falls off a table, parts can break.  This is true for any umbrella-style swift.  Treat it with the same care you would a spinning wheel or other beloved possession.  If you fly with it, we recommend using a hard-sided suitcase that is not overpacked (and thereby stressing the struts).  If you encounter resistance upon opening or closing the swift, use common sense.  Stop, don't force anything, and look for what is causing the resistance.


We have had users break inner struts.  We've found that because the struts on this swift are flexible, they don't provide the same kind of resistance-feedback that a wooden swift does when yarn gets snagged.  If you don't notice that something is wrong and continue winding, enough tension can be put on the struts for one to break.  Be particularly careful of a loose yarn end wrapping itself around the shaft - this has been the main cause of strut breakage.  We changed the pin style on the inner struts in late 2024 to help strengthen them, but they can still break if yarn gets wrapped around the shaft.


We've also had a few reports of customers who are uneducated about the swift, yank on it and break it.  It is different from all other swifts, the raising and lowering mechanism in particular takes a small bit of explanation and demonstration.  We recommend a short training session before allowing someone new to the swift to use it.


If a strut breaks, then what?

If a strut breaks shortly after you receive your swift and you still have the original box, we will replace it for free if you ship it to us.  If it breaks after 60 days or it's difficult for you to ship the swift back to us, we'll ship you a replacement pair of struts and link to a video on how to do the replacment.  The entire swift is designed to be user-repairable, but an inner strut does require the swift to be disassembled.  We ship you a 3mm hex key for the stopping collar near the top of the shaft, all you'll need is a Phillips (+) screwdriver.  I talk through the whole process in the video and it's 10 minutes long.


What if something else breaks?

We considered user-repairability at every step through the design process, and have made these swifts able to be fully disassembled with 2 tools: a Phillips (+) screwdriver and a 3mm hex key.  We have replacement parts available, we have videos that walk you through replacing struts and strut ties.   If a strut tie breaks, you can always temporarily replace it with yarn!  We also offer repair as a service with additional fees for time & shipping.


Got a different question?

Please contact us!