Swiftly

If you're a knitter, then you've probably sat for hours trying to untangle a mess of yarn. Maybe it was the last bits of a center-pull ball of yarn, or maybe it was a big old tangly hank that you forgot to have wound at the store. I've done it - at home, at the airport, nearly anywhere I knit, I've sat trying to untangle some fiddly yarn. On those occasions, I wish for a yarn swift and ball winder to make my life a little easier. Yet, I've never quite gotten around to purchasing one, and I'll show you why.

All you need is two chairs - placed back to back. Then just loop your hank of yarn over them like you see in the picture, and get winding! True, you don't get that great spinning action that a swift has, but unless you're knitting a million miles an hour, this will save a pretty penny, save some storage space, and still helps get the job done - with a lot fewer tangles!