February 2011

Mastering marlinespike

True lover’s knot

Also called the clover or cross knot, this knot has three loops at right angles to one another. It’s stable only if the load is equally distributed on all three loops with the working part and bitter end leading away in the fourth direction.

This knot has little to offer other than its intrinsic beauty.

A. Start with an overhand knot.

B. Following the arrow in A. start a second overhand knot, linked to the first, and complete it following the arrow.

C. Before proceeding, make sure the knot looks like this.

D. Following the arrows in C. and D., carefully pull out the three loops from inside the knot while holding the working part and bitter end together. Adjust the knot by pulling each of the three loops and the working part/bitter end out from the center of the knot.

E. The final result

Continue building your marlinespike skills by taking the Knots, Bends and Hitches seminar. Find a seminar near you or purchase the USPS guide Knots, Bends and Hitches for Mariners. Call 888-367-8777 ext. 0 for more information.

Original materials used with thanks to Irene Rodriguez and John Bennett