=Square Knots. Hitching Knots. Other Knots=
Every outdoor girl should know what knots to use for various purposes and how to tie them, but only those which will be found useful on the trail are given here.
There are three different kinds of bends that are given a rope in the process of tying a knot, and each bend has its own name. You must learn these in order to understand the directions for knot-tying; they are: the _bight_, the _loop_, and the _round turn_.
The _bight_ (Fig. 46) is made by bending the rope so that the sides are parallel. The _loop_ (Fig. 47) is made by lapping one rope of the bight across the other. The _round turn_ (Fig. 48) is made by carrying one rope of the loop all the way around to the other side, making half of the loop double.
This is probably what you would at first call a hard knot, and so it is a hard knot to come untied of itself or to slip, but it is easy to untie when necessary. The hard knot most people tie is not quite the same as the square knot, though it does resemble it.
The ordinary hard knot is what is known as the _granny_ knot, a slurring name which means a failure. The granny knot will not always stay tied, it often slips and it cannot be trusted when absolute security is needed.
Begin the _square knot_ with the single first tie (Fig. 49). You see the end _X_ turns up _over_ the other rope while the end _O_ laps _under_ the rope. Now bring the two ends together, lapping _X over O_ (Fig. 50). Then pass _X_ back under _O_, making the single tie once more. Now compare what you have done with Fig. 51. Notice in the drawing that the ends of rope _X_ are _both over_ the right-hand bight, and the ends of rope _O_ are _both under_ the left-hand bight. Draw the square knot tight and it looks like Fig. 52.
You cannot make a mistake in tying the square knot if you remember to notice which end is on top, or laps _over_ the other rope when the first single tie is made (Fig. 49), and then be sure to lap this _same end over_ the other end in making the second tie which finishes the knot.
Use the figure-eight knot to make a knot on the end of a rope or to prevent the end of the strands from untwisting. Form a loop like Fig. 53 near the end of the rope, bringing the short end over the long rope; then pass the short end under the long rope once, as shown by dotted line, and carry it up over and through the loop (Fig. 54). Pull it up tightly to bring the end square across the rope (Fig. 55). This knot is not difficult to untie.