Page 14 - Peter Randall - The Craft of the Knot

HITCHING PRACTICES

When you tie a knot in the rope without ever using the running end, you’re said to “tie
in the bight.” Tying in the bight may be done in the middle of the rope or near the end
(as long as you’re not moving the running end). For example, you can make a Clove
Hitch by making two crossing turns in the bight. Then, lay the right crossing turn over

the left one, and the resulting hitch can then be placed over the end of a post.

Many knots that are usually tied with the running end can be tied in the bight by
folding a bight anywhere in the line and then using it exactly as you would a running
end. When a Simple Overhand Knot is tied this way, the bight that protrudes from the

knot where the running end would have been can then be used as a loop. This is a good
way to make a loop in very small cord or string.

Another term important in understanding knots is capsizing, which is when a knot
changes its shape due to a rearrangement of one of its parts—for example, when you
pull on the knot’s loop and it straightens out. If you set up your cord and pull on the

running end, it will leave the crossing turn as it straightens and another crossing turn
will form on the cord that was running through it. This transformation can happen in
knots when they are not snugged down into their proper form, causing the knot to
“spill.” In the case of the Square or Reef Knot, this is done intentionally, to untie it more
quickly (capsizing is sometimes done on purpose to aid in tying a knot).

When you’re making hitches, you’ll also come across “turns” and “round turns.” These