I have created enough solid features to make this look like the finished item, but as a useful model it seems poor.

I am convinced that there must be a way to sketch the handle and the tines in a single plane, and join them to the twisted helixes.  Then sweep the entire wire as one piece, taper the tines, then bend the contour of the handle and tines - much as if it were real wire.  I simply do not know if this is possible.  "Deform" seemed to flatten the wire.

What is the best way to go about modeling this so that I can adjust the curvature, maybe the number of twists, and other aspects.  Right now it consists of 3 sweeps, 2 lofts, and 4 domes to fill in all the gaps.  The centerlines for the sweeps and lofts are projected onto a surface from a 2D sketch.  The various features are not merged either due to "zero thickness geometry" and such.

Is there a better way?

(I am not in a rush - the idea is there, and quite clear.  I just think it could be done better)

Thanks!