I too think you can do twisties. Which ways have you tried? I know a bazillion ways to do them and one of them is bound to work for you.
The very first kind I ever tried to make worked so it must be fool proof.
Take 2 glass rods and tape them together about 5 inches down from the end you wanted to melt.
Heat the first 1st inch or so, paying attention to heating the "seam" between the two rods. Watch while the glass rods droop and flop out of control. Not to worry! Use less heat, and mash them together and horizontal again using a marver.
Heat until they are melted together. They won't turn into a gather if you keep using the marver and don't overheat them!
Once they are hot enough to pull, (fused together, molten really), use a pair of small pliers, grab the tips of both ends with one hand, twist and pull the rods with the other hand out of the flame.
If your on a HH you have to keep reheating the rods.
Ok, so I don't even know if you already tried this and hated doing it that way. But I'm not deleting all this now!!!
Please PM me if this isn't clear or you want more info or another way to do it.