I am a knitter, and I use an umbrella swift when winding a hank of yarn into a ball. ( For non-knitters, a swift holds the hank--a coil of yarn--open at tension while it spins, allowing the yarn to be pulled off the coil without tangling. An umbrella swift gets its name because it has ribs that open to the appropriate diameter and close for storage, like an umbrella.) Swifts come in different sizes; mine is almost 30 inches tall and between 4 and 5 inches in diameter at its widest point when closed. I started looking into poster tubes because I wanted more protection than a fabric cover would offer; most were too narrow, so I was very happy to find this one. It's just the right height at 31 inches and its inner diameter is perfect for my swift. There's nothing inside it to snag the swift's ribs. The tube will stand by itself, but the shoulder strap will also let it be hung in a closet. I couldn't ask for a better storage option. It's not inexpensive, but the price is comparable to a made-to-fit fabric cover. This was an excellent purchase for me.

Now to see how it withstands airline baggage shipping handling!