Coronating Crowned Circles: The Bowline

 Someone, somewhere, dubbed The Bowline THE KING OF KNOTS. I don't know who/where, the internet just accepts it as fact. It makes a loop. The loop doesn't slip. You can tie it "one handed." You have to keep tension on it though, so something is holding the other end, and you use your back also. "One hand, some other guy's hand, and one assed" just didn't have the same ring to it.

Hail to the king, baby!

The stereotypical use for the bowline is hauling someone out of a hole they fell into, but you can also use it to tie up a boat (or plane!), as a climbing knot, or any other time you want a reasonably sturdy loop.

The standard direction is: The rabbit goes up the hole, around the tree, and back down.

I've never found this terribly helpful, since it doesn't tell you which was to make the loops, etc. Here's a less catch, but more detailed, explanation:

1. Make a loop so that the end at the top (the standing end) is in the back (there has to be a better way to phrase this).

2. Bring the other (working) end through the hole from behind and underneath.

3. Wrap behind the standing end.

4. Back through the loop alongside itself.

5. Pull standing end and "both" working ends.

Thanks, Buz11 from Wikipedia!

I rate my knowledge here 4/5. I have to remember how to do the initial loop (I'm starting to get it into muscle memory), but other than that it's good.