Granny Knot

The Granny Knot is probably the first knot people learn to tie. Kids tie it. Adults tie it. It shows up while tying shoelaces, sacks, and gifts.

But here’s the kicker…

Most people don’t mean to tie it. They attempt to try the Square Knot and end up with the Granny Knot!

What is a Granny Knot?

The Granny Knot is what happens when you mess up the Square Knot.

It’s a simple binding knot that is tied by tying two identical Half Knots—one tied on top of the other.

Now, here’s the weird part. When you pull one end of the Granny knot, it capsizes and turns into another useful knot called the two half hitches.

The Granny knot is not useless. But it’s not your best friend either.

Let’s learn it in detail.

How to Tie a Granny Knot

To tie the Granny Knot, just tie it in the sequence: Right over Left, tuck it under. Right over Left, tuck it under again.

1. Cross the BLUE rope over the RED rope (Right over Left).
2. Tuck it under the RED rope.
3. Cross the RED rope over the Blue rope (Right over Left).
4. Tuck it under the BLUE rope.
5. Pull all ends to tighten the knot.

You have tied it correctly if the strands from the same rope come out of the loop on different sides.

Granny Knot vs Square Knot (Reef Knot)

Here’s where most people get it wrong:

The Square Knot and Granny Knot start the same way to form the first Half Knot. That’s why it’s so easy to mess things up.

Both start with the same initial turn—you can either go Left over Right or Right over Left. Doesn’t matter.

On the second turn, you either repeat the previous method or switch it up.

• If you repeat the same steps again, you will end up with the Granny Knot.
• If you reverse the process, i.e., go Left over Right, you will end up with the Square Knot.

When you look at the final structure, both strands exit on the same side of the loop in the Square Knot.

In the Granny Knot, they exit on different sides of the loop.

Here’s a personal story:

A few months back, I posted this photo on social media, saying, “I hope you are tying the Square Knot right.”

I thought the photo was clear and would easily convey the message.

But I was wrong. People lost their minds.

I got DMs. Comments and questions that I did not expect.

“Why are they different?”

“That looks the same to me!”

It’s one of those things. You don’t see it until you see it. Once you do it yourself, you can’t unsee it!

Bonus Note

When you pull on one of the ends of the Square Knot, it will collapse into the reverse Half hitches (ABoK #1786).

The Granny Knot turns into the regular two half hitches.

In terms of security, the Square Knot is more secure than the Granny Knot.

But in critical applications, both knots should be avoided.

Application and Uses

To be honest, no one prefers the Granny Knot. It just happens as a mistake when tying up the Square Knot.

Still, it pops here and there:

• Most people tie their shoelaces this way.
• People also wrap gifts and parcels using this Knot. Not very secure, so the use should be temporary only.
• Tie up sacks.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Quick and easy to tie

Cons

• Can slip under load
• Tends to jam when used with small diameter ropes
• Not secure for critical application

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Granny knot used in surgery?

No. It’s simply not secure.

In fact, tying the Granny Knot is considered an error in surgical knot tying training.

Surgeons use another knot called the Surgeon’s Knot for ligatures in surgery.

It’s a Square Knot with an extra twist in the first throw.

This extra pass provides more friction to maintain the position of the knot until the second throw is applied.

Why is it called the Granny knot?

I dug around a bit and found two fun answers:

One references suggest that it was the knot “naturally tied by women and landsmen.”

Another source says that it got its name from being a common sack tying knot in granaries.

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Let’s stop tying bad knots!