Page 346 - Geoffrey Budworth, Jason Dalton "The Little Book of Incredibly Useful Knots"

Sheepshank

A coil of rope or hank of cord can be expensive, and you should not cut it merely because the job

in hand requires less than the full length. Of the various shortening knots known as
“sheepshanks” (perhaps because each one resembles a chunky legbone), this is one of the more
secure examples and will hold any surplus line not required for the time being. It is yet another

of those knots that can—and often must—be tied in the bight.

Grasp the unneeded slack in a loose S- or Z-shape, and in one end form an uncompleted overhand
knot (1). Tuck the nearest bight through this layout in an over-under-over sequence (2). Turn the
work end-for-end and repeat the process (3). Tighten the resulting twin knots (4).