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The finished wooden swift is used to hold a reeled hank while you wind it into a ball. It is sometimes referred to as an "umbrella" swift because the arms expand as you push them up, like the ribs of an umbrella. This makes it possible to hold a variety of skein sizes--for a small skein, the arms go out only a little; for a large skein, they may expand all the way. Once the skein is supported under tension, you can wind it into a ball on a ball winder. The swift turns as you pull, keeping the skein under control as you wind.