Intro:
Before you begin
Securing a line: half, double-half, and clove hitches
Knot 1:
Get half-hitched!
Knot 2:
Do a double half hitch
Knot 3:
Cinch a clove hitch
Joining lines together: square or reef knots, the sheet-bend
Knot 4:
Be a square
Knot 5:
Tie a sheet bend
Loops that last
Knot 6:
Let's go bowline
Knot 7:
Tie a one-handed bowline
End Knots
Knot 8:
The figure 8

2torial #0540: Learn2 Tie Basic Knots (Continued) Knot 8: The figure 8 End knots are those you tie at the end of a rope. They're good to hold the separate strands together so the rope doesn't fray. End knots also prevent rope from pulling through something it has been fed through such as a block and tackle or an eye-bolt. The figure 8, named for its final shape, is the most basic of these. Step 1: Bend it Hold the rope with the long end leading away from your hands. Bend the rope into a U shape. The bottom of the U is where you want the knot to end up. Step 2: Cross it Cross the free end over the working end. Hold the resulting loop at the point where the ends cross. Pass the free end around behind the working end. Pull it back toward you again. Step 3: Thread it Push the free end down through the loop at the bottom of the U. Pull gently on both ends to snug. The finished knot will look like two interlocking loops-- like a figure 8 with an end trailing out of each loop. Another way to think of this knot: make a half-hitch of the first variety (not an overhand knot) and pass the free end through the loop. -end- Learn More! or All steps at once (printable version)