Five different styles of umbrella swifts
are available to handle almost any size skein imaginable!
- Petite Umbrella Swifts, with either six or twelve arms, for embroidery yarn and other small skeins
- Standard Umbrella Swifts, with either six or twelve arms, accomodate most commercially produced skeins
- The Great Umbrella Swift, with 12 double-articulated arms, handles heavy and large diameter skeins
Bluster Bay umbrella swifts are hand-made and each is one-of-a-kind. They are only available directly from Bluster Bay Woodworks. Please see our ordering information.
They are made from a variety of domestic and imported hardwoods. Currently we are offering swifts made from your choice of:
- Black cherry
- Black walnut
- White ash
- Rock maple
We also have small quantities of other, more unusual woods that can be incorporated into small parts such as handles and finials. Please visit our wood list for descriptions and photographs of the woods we currently use. |
Both our Petite and Standard Umbrella Swifts are available in either 6-arm or 12-arm versions. Although a six-arm swift functions almost identically to a 12-arm swift of the same size, a 12-arm version is much more dramatic in appearance, having twice as many collapsing slats as the six-arm style. A 12-arm swift will carry heavier skeins with more ease than a six-arm swift of the same size.
Our Great Umbrella Swift is available only with 12 arms. Its double-articulated arms not only create a very dramatic-looking umbrella swift, but allow it to handle bulky or large diameter skeins without being too heavy or large.
Bluster Bay Woodworks offers the only modern 12-arm swifts. |
 Top finial of standard 12-arm umbrella swift
made of black walnut |
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Petite Umbrella Swift |
- Our smallest and most delicate swift
- Designed for small skeins and embroidery thread
- Approximately 23 inches tall
- Accommodates skeins up to 48 inches in circumference
- Available with either six or twelve arms
- PET-06 – Petite Umbrella Swift, 6-arm version – $200.00
- PET-12 – Petite Umbrella Swift, 12-arm version – $225.00
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Petite 6-arm umbrella swift
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Petite 12-arm umbrella swift
made with two contrasting woods |
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Standard Umbrella Swift |
- A mid-sized umbrella swift, perfectly suited to most commercial and hand-spun skeins
- Approximately 31 inches tall
- Accommodates skeins up to 80 inches in circumference
- Available with either six or twelve arms
- STD-06 – Standard Umbrella Swift, 6-arm version – $225.00
- STD-12 – Standard Umbrella Swift, 12-arm version – $275.00
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| Standard 6-arm umbrella swift
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Standard 12-arm umbrella swift
made with accents of a contrasting wood |
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The Great Umbrella Swift |
- Large enough to handle your longest and heaviest skeins
- Approximately 27 inches tall
- Accommodates a range of skein sizes, from just bigger than average to very large
- 120 inches in circumference when fully open
- Available with twelve, double articulated arms
- GRT-12 – The Great Umbrella Swift, 12-arms – $350.00
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Above: Great 12-arm umbrella swift made from two contrasting woods
Below: The intricate but strong double articulated arms of a Bluster Bay Great Umbrella Swift |
