- Join, Give - Write Us One of the oddest appearing artifacts at
The Shaker Historical Society sits in the middle of the
Collections Room. Multiple visitors inquire about the object,
however, the only information I had known, or rather inferred,
was that it was somehow used by the Shaker women for spinning. I
was determined to find out more information regarding this piece
of Shaker history. This artifact is called a swift, which was a
tool used to wind skeins of yarn and other material. Swifts were
generally used to assist crocheters and knitters. The Shakers
did not invent this instrument but did improve upon its
functioning to better suit the needs of its users. The swift has
several names and forms. The name “swift” can be interchanged
with “reel” as they both are used to wind skeins. There is a
need for distinction, however, by way of determining how the
yarn is to be wound. Swifts are generally small in size,
portable, and can be used on a table top, whereas reels tend to
be large both in size and in av