A rope or piece of heavy string about 3 feet (1 meter) to practice on--a section of common laundry line works well

2 - 5 minutes to learn each knot

1/2 hour or longer to practice

Seconds to tie once you are a pro!

Bight: a bend or kink placed on a rope.

Fray: the strings and fluff that occurs when a rope unravels.

Free end: the long end you use for tying knots!

Line: a length of rope which is being used for a something.

Tail or tailing end: the little piece of rope that sticks out from a knot after it's tied.

Working end: the end of a rope which is already attached to something.

Knot security: no, it's not a knot with good self-esteem--it's one that resists untying or breaking the line, despite the stress of weight, vibration, or giggling movements. For example, a slip knot is more secure knot than a square knot.

To pull a double half-hitch tighter between two secured objects, pull the knot away from the object it secures to make the loop bigger. The bight or bend created by the knot should hold the rope taught.

2torial #0540: Learn2 Tie Basic Knots Knot now, I'm all tied up ... Gnarled knotting have you in a bind? Do you get side-tracked by a simple square knot? Want to learn the loops that'll link those lines? This 2torial untangles the basics of nine knots that make life easier. Get a piece of thick string or twine about 3 feet long (1 meter) that bends easily and doesn't fray. Put some tape around the ends, or tie figure 8 knots (see below) at both ends so that they won't come apart. Now you have a practice rope to learn with. This 2torial will provide step-by-step instructions for knots with the following uses: Securing a line: Half, double-half, and clove hitches   Tying ropes together: Square or reef knots, the sheet-bend   Loops that'll hold fast: The bowline   End knots: The figure 8 Pick the category you most want to learn, skip to that section, and follow the basic steps. Practice tying until you're comfortable, then pick another category. Oh no, knot again! This 2torial will use the terms dominant and non-dominant hand. What's that, you ask? Your dominant hand is the one you write or throw with, or the one you're more likely to reach out and grab something. Your non-dominant hand is the other one. With most knots presented here, parts of the line will be referred to as the working end and the free end. The working end is the part of the rope already tied to something-- for example, a dog, a boat, or a kite. The other end, with which most of the manuevering is done, is called the free end of a rope. Knot 1: Get half-hitched The most basic of knots is called a half hitch. In a slightly different form it's popularly known as an overhand knot, which is the first step to tying shoelaces. The half hitch, though insufficient for most uses by itself, is a necessary building block for most of the other knots in this 2torial. Step 1: Hold it Hold your practice rope in your non-dominant hand. Call the end in your nondominant hand the working end. Mostly you just want to keep the working end out of your way. Now pick up the free end, the end you want to tie, with your dominant hand. Step 2: Wrap it Pass the free end under and around your leg. Pretend that your leg is an object you need to secure with the rope. Step 3: Cross it Take the free end and pull it up parallel to the working end. Cross the free end over the working end. Push the free end under the loop created by the cross-over. Pull the free end to snug down the knot. Knot 2: Do a double half hitch A double half-hitch is just one of many kinds of hitches. It's great to use for securing rope to an object that you want to hold fast, such as tent stakes and laundry lines. As a bonus, it's easy to tie and untie. Start by tying a half hitch (see above). Step 1: Hold it Take up the free end which should be trailing from the loop of the half hitch. Pull the free end parallel to the working end. The working end should be straight. Step 2: Tie another half-hitch Cross the free end over the working end in the same direction as the first half hitch formed. Pass the free end behind the working end (notice the new loop you've just formed) and push the free end through the new loop. Snug down the two loops by pulling on the free end and the working end (remember--the working end is the one that passes around your leg). Step 3: Tighten it Pull the knot firmly against the object by sliding the double half-hitch along the working end of the rope. This knot will also tighten naturally by pulling on the working end. Notice how the hitch puts a bend in the rope which prevents it from slipping. This bend in the rope is called a bight. Knot 3: Cinch a clove hitch A clove hitch is another quick and easy way to tie a rope to an object so that it doesn't get away. The difference is that the knot will be tied around the object rather than the working end of the rope. Clove hitches are commonly used for tying horse tethers to a hitching post. It's also good for tying up bundles of stuff like kindling or poles. Step 1: Drape it Start by looping the free end over your leg (for practice) or a post. Then pass the free end under the object. Bring the free end up and cross it over the top of the working end. Step 2: Loop it   Pass the free end over and under the object again in the same direction as the first loop. Leave the place where the rope crosses over the working end rather loose. Bring the free end up again. Note that the two loops don't cross or overlap but lie parallel to one another. Step 3: Feed it through Pass the free end through the place where the rope crosses over. Pull the hitch tight by pulling on both ends. Knot 4: Be a square A square knot, also called a reef knot, is used to join two lengths of rope about the same thickness. It's quick to tie and untie. Use it when you're in a hurry to tie two ends together to hold light to medium stress. Like the double half-hitch, it consists of two half-hitches. But it's a very different knot, and you'll see why. Step 1: Loop it Loop the rope around a stationary object (any leg, yours or a table's, will work fine for practice). Bring the two ends up evenly on either side. You're now holding two free ends. Step 2: Tie it Cross the two ends of rope you want to join. Pass the end that crosses on top (end A) over the other end (end B), and pull it back up again. This creates an overhand knot, which is actually a half hitch in a slightly different form. Step 3: Tie it again, but differently Hold the two ends above and away from the overhand knot. The end that crossed on top (end A) must cross on top again. Notice that end A is now going in the opposite direction from where it went the first time. Push end A over end B, down and through the loop between the two hitches (a hitch is another word for a simple knot). Step 4: Tighten it Pull the knot tight by pulling evenly on the two free ends. The center of the knot should have a diamond or square shape. Hence the name. It also should look like two loops linked together. Step 5: Remember it Here's an easy way to remember this: think of left and right. If, for the first hitch, the end on the left goes over and under, then for the second hitch the end on the right goes over and under. A different way: Think about the movements of your dominant hand--over and under, then under and over.) Knot 5: Tie a sheet bend A sheet bend is more secure than a square knot, but a little more difficult to untie. It's useful for joining two lines together of different sizes or quality. Use a sheet bend if you're going to put heavy stress on the knot, if one end is hard to bend or tie, or if you don't want the knot to come undone any time soon. Step 1: Loop it Bend one end (call it end A) into a J shape, where the working end is the long part of the J. Hold it in your nondominant hand. Step 2: Thread it Take the other end (end B) in your dominant hand and move it under the loop of the J. Then thread end B up through the loop of the J. Step 3: Wrap it Wrap end B around the short side of the J shape. Pass end B all the way under the loop and up the long side of the J shape. Step 4: Thread it Now, you want to pass end B across the loop. Push end B through the section of end B where it first snakes up through the J shape. Then pull end B out--it should pass over the short side of the J shape. If you were to walk end B across the J shape, the pattern would be Over, Under, and Over again. Pull tight on end B first. Then pull the two working ends to secure the knot. Step 5: Tie ropes of different qualities If you are joining two ropes of different qualities, notice which end is harder to tie. Is one end thicker, stiffer or rougher? This one should be end A. The thinner, more flexible, or more slippery of the two ends should be end B. Then tie the sheet bend as described above. Knot 6: Lets go bowline Sometimes you need to make a loop at the end of a rope that'll stay a loop. The bowline (pronounced BO - lin) is a critical knot used to make a loop that's secure and will stay open for as long as you need it. An old mariner's saying goes, "I could make the devil himself a good sailor if he could learn a bowline." Step 1: Hold it Hold the working end (the longer end) of a rope in your nondominant hand. The working end should trail up and away from you. Step 2: Loop it   Make a loop by passing the free end over the working end. For purposes that'll soon be clear, call this loop "the hole." Hold the hole with your nondominant hand at the point where the two ends cross over. Note: When you make this loop, it's critical that the free end pass on top of the working end. It's also a good idea to make it relatively small, because in the bowline there's a second, larger loop that should be easy to distinguish. Step 3: Thread it Move the free end under the hole, and pass the free end up through the hole. (Leave enough rope hanging down on this free end. Later, it'll form the second, larger loop.) Step 4: Wrap it Pass the free end over the working end, then around behind it, and then back down the hole again. Be sure you pass the free end through the small loop of the knot and not the second, larger loop you're creating. Step 5: Tighten it Hold the free end and the side of the larger loop together in one hand. Hold the working end in your other hand. Pull gently on the working end until the knot is snug. Then grab the loop with one hand, the working end with the other, and pull tight. Step 6: Remember it! Here's a clever way to remember the bowline: imagine a pastoral woodland scene. The free end is a rabbit; the working end is a tree with a rabbit hole at the bottom of it. Say to your self, "The rabbit comes out of the hole, goes around the tree and back down the hole again." Knot 7: Tie a one-handed bowline This knot is indispensable if you only have one hand free and need a strong, stationary loop. It's exactly the same knot described above, but once mastered, takes a fraction of the time to tie it. Step 1: Grab it Pass the rope around your middle. Hold the working end out away from your body with your nondominant hand. Hold the free end with your dominant hand. Hold it about an inch or two from the end of the line with the line running up your arm. Step 2: Do the macarena! Okay, so it's not the macarena, but you'll do some wiggling with the hand that holds the free end. Don't let go of the free end! Put your hand over the working end. Wrap it under and bring it up next to your belly (assuming you've wrapped the rope around your middle). You should have formed a loop around your wrist. That's the hole in the rabbit diagram above. With your fingertips, wrap the free end around and up on the other side of the working end. (Which line is the working end again? It's the line that your non-dominant hand is touching. Take care that you don't wrap the free end around the loop of that's around your midsection.) For the final triumphant move, pull your hand, and the free end with it, down through the loop around your wrist. This might take some wiggling. Step 3: Tighten it Keep holding on to the free end with your dominant hand. Pull the working end away from you with your nondominant hand. You should have it! Step 4: Practice for emergencies Before you get stuck down a well or at the bottom of a cliff where someone must pull you up, practice doing the one-handed bowline with your practice rope around your middle. Once you get the hang of it, it'll be easy to wrap a loop around other obstacles, or perhaps someone unconscious, and tie the one-handed bowline in seconds. 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!