Page 31 - Peter Randall - The Craft of the Knot

STEP 2 Tighten the knot by pulling on the strands.

In preparing three-strand rope for multistrand knots, it is best to whip the end of each
strand and bind the rope itself with a Constrictor Knot (see Chapter 6) to keep the
strands from separating any further down the rope.