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Tying cards

Learn to tie

Nine knots, four to six steps each: the same cards that come with our tie-your-own cords. A shoelace or any piece of string will do for practice.

No. 01

Reef Knot

Joins two ends of the same line, the classic knot for tying a bundle or a parcel. Shop the Reef pieces

No. 01 · Reef Knot

  1. Reef Knot, step 1: Right over left
    Step 1 / 5

    Right over left

    Hold one end in each hand and cross the right (blue) end over the left (tan) end.

  2. Reef Knot, step 2: Under and up
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    Under and up

    Wrap the blue end under the tan end and bring it back up; this is a half knot, and each end returns to its own side.

  3. Reef Knot, step 3: Left over right
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    Left over right

    Now cross the end on the left (tan) over the end on the right (blue).

  4. Reef Knot, step 4: Under and through
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    Under and through

    Wrap the tan end under the blue end and up through the opening, then lay the knot flat: each line now forms a U-shaped bight, and the two bights are hooked through each other.

  5. Reef Knot, step 5: Pull tight
    Step 5 / 5

    Pull tight

    Pull both lines to close the bights. Both tan parts leave on one side and both blue parts on the other, each pair lying over the other bight; if one part of a pair runs over and the other under, it is a granny knot.

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No. 02

Figure Eight

A stopper knot: tied at the end of a line so it cannot slip back through a hole or a block. Shop the Figure Eight pieces

No. 02 · Figure Eight

  1. Figure Eight, step 1: Make a loop
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    Make a loop

    Lay the working end over the standing part to form a loop.

  2. Figure Eight, step 2: Around the back
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    Around the back

    Bring the working end around and pass it under the standing part.

  3. Figure Eight, step 3: Down through the loop
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    Down through the loop

    Bring the end back over the side of the loop and push it down through the loop from the front.

  4. Figure Eight, step 4: Check the figure eight
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    Check the figure eight

    Draw the end through; the rope should trace a figure 8 with four crossings, over and under in turn.

  5. Figure Eight, step 5: Tighten
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    Tighten

    Pull the standing part and the end to snug the knot, leaving a short tail.

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No. 03

Bowline

Makes a fixed loop at the end of a line that will not slip or jam, and is easy to untie. Shop the Bowline pieces

No. 03 · Bowline

  1. Bowline, step 1: Make a small loop
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    Make a small loop

    Form a small loop in the standing part, with the part leading to the working end lying on top.

  2. Bowline, step 2: Up through the loop
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    Up through the loop

    Bring the working end up through the small loop from underneath.

  3. Bowline, step 3: Around the standing part
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    Around the standing part

    Pass the end behind the standing part and bring it back round to the front.

  4. Bowline, step 4: Back down the loop
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    Back down the loop

    Push the end back down through the small loop, alongside the part that came up.

  5. Bowline, step 5: Tighten
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    Tighten

    Hold the end against the side of the big loop and pull the standing part to set the knot; the end finishes inside the loop.

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No. 04

Clove Hitch

Ties a line quickly to a post or a rail with two crossing turns. Shop the Clove Hitch pieces

No. 04 · Clove Hitch

  1. Clove Hitch, step 1: Wrap the post
    Step 1 / 4

    Wrap the post

    Lay the working end across the front of the post and take it around the back, bringing it out below the standing part.

  2. Clove Hitch, step 2: Cross over
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    Cross over

    Bring the end diagonally up across the front, over the standing part, and around the back of the post again.

  3. Clove Hitch, step 3: Tuck under
    Step 3 / 4

    Tuck under

    Bring the end out above the first turn and tuck it under the diagonal, so it leaves in the opposite direction to the standing part.

  4. Clove Hitch, step 4: Pull tight
    Step 4 / 4

    Pull tight

    Pull both ends to snug the two turns together. The front shows an X with both ends coming out from under the diagonal; the back shows two parallel turns.

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No. 05

Sheet Bend

Joins two lines, even when one is thicker than the other. Shop the Sheet Bend pieces

No. 05 · Sheet Bend

  1. Sheet Bend, step 1: Make a bight
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    Make a bight

    Fold the end of the thicker line (tan) back on itself to form a bight.

  2. Sheet Bend, step 2: Through the bight
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    Through the bight

    Pass the end of the thinner line (blue) through the bight from behind.

  3. Sheet Bend, step 3: Behind both legs
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    Behind both legs

    Take the blue end around behind both legs of the bight.

  4. Sheet Bend, step 4: Tuck under itself
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    Tuck under itself

    Bring it back across the front of the bight and tuck it under its own standing part, not through the bight.

  5. Sheet Bend, step 5: Tighten
    Step 5 / 5

    Tighten

    Hold the bight and pull the blue standing part to set the knot; both short ends should finish on the same side.

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No. 06

Monkey's Fist

Wraps the end of a line into a neat, round ball of turns. Shop the Monkey's Fist pieces

No. 06 · Monkey's Fist

  1. Monkey's Fist, step 1: First three turns
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    First three turns

    Spread two fingers and wrap the rope three times around both, laying the turns side by side.

  2. Monkey's Fist, step 2: Second three turns
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    Second three turns

    Wrap the end three times around the first set, passing it through the gap between your fingers so the new turns cross the first ones at right angles.

  3. Monkey's Fist, step 3: Third three turns
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    Third three turns

    Slide the knot off your fingers. Pass the end three times through the inside of the first set and around the outside of the second set.

  4. Monkey's Fist, step 4: Add a core
    Step 4 / 5

    Add a core

    For a firm ball, push a marble or small ball into the centre, then tighten each turn in order, working the slack along to the end.

  5. Monkey's Fist, step 5: Finish the fist
    Step 5 / 5

    Finish the fist

    Keep working the slack through until all nine turns sit snugly round the core, then tuck the end into the knot or splice it to the standing part.

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No. 07

Carrick Bend

Joins two heavy lines; when laid flat it shows an even, woven pattern. Shop the Carrick Bend pieces

No. 07 · Carrick Bend

  1. Carrick Bend, step 1: Make a loop
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    Make a loop

    Form a loop in the end of the tan line, with its working end passing under its standing part.

  2. Carrick Bend, step 2: Under the loop
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    Under the loop

    Lay the blue working end under the whole tan loop, entering on one side and coming out on the other.

  3. Carrick Bend, step 3: Over, then under
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    Over, then under

    Take the blue end over the tan standing part, then under the tan working end.

  4. Carrick Bend, step 4: Over, under, over
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    Over, under, over

    Finish the weave: over the tan loop, under the blue line itself, then over the tan loop again. Every crossing should now alternate over and under.

  5. Carrick Bend, step 5: Even it up
    Step 5 / 5

    Even it up

    Pull the four parts gently to even the weave. The two working ends should come out on opposite sides of the knot, diagonally across from each other.

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No. 08

Overhand Knot

The simplest knot: one loop with the end passed through it, the base of many other knots. Shop the Overhand pieces

No. 08 · Overhand Knot

  1. Overhand Knot, step 1: Make a loop
    Step 1 / 4

    Make a loop

    Form a loop near the end by crossing the working end over the standing part.

  2. Overhand Knot, step 2: Tuck the end
    Step 2 / 4

    Tuck the end

    Take the working end around behind the standing part and bring it up through the loop from the back.

  3. Overhand Knot, step 3: Pull through
    Step 3 / 4

    Pull through

    Draw the end out through the loop; the rope now crosses itself three times in an over-under pattern.

  4. Overhand Knot, step 4: Tighten
    Step 4 / 4

    Tighten

    Pull the working end and the standing part in opposite directions until the knot sits snug.

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No. 09

Turk's Head

A decorative woven ring of rope, tied around a rail, a handle or a wrist. Shop the Turk's Head pieces

No. 09 · Turk's Head

  1. Turk's Head, step 1: First round
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    First round

    Lay the rope once round a rod or your hand in a long diagonal turn, as shown; nothing is tucked yet.

  2. Turk's Head, step 2: Second round
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    Second round

    Carry on round in the same direction. Each time you meet the first round, pass under it.

  3. Turk's Head, step 3: Third round
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    Third round

    Go round once more, alternating under and over at every crossing: under, over, under, over, under, over.

  4. Turk's Head, step 4: Close the ring
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    Close the ring

    The end now arrives beside the standing part. Every crossing should alternate; you have a 3-lead, 4-bight Turk's head.

  5. Turk's Head, step 5: Double and tighten
    Step 5 / 5

    Double and tighten

    Lead the end round again alongside the first pass (two or three passes for a bracelet), then work out the slack and slide it off.

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These cards show how to tie each knot as a piece of jewellery or for practice. They are not instructions for climbing, sailing, lifting or any safety-critical use.