Usage
The Granny Knot is a binding knot that can be used to secure a rope or line around an object such as a bag or package. However, for this purpose other knots, such as the Reef Knot, are superior so there is little use for the Granny Knot in practical application.History
The Granny knot is mentioned in print as far back as 1799 in the book "A Vocabulary of Sea Phrases and Terms of Art used in Seamanship and Naval Architecture". Patterson's "Illustrated Nautical Encyclopedia", published in 1901, refers to the Granny as "the old granny knot". Sir Edwin Arnold(1832-1904) called it the "common or garden knot."In heraldry, the Granny Knot is known as the Bourchier knot, due to being a heraldic badge of the Bourchier family.
Also known as
- False Knot
- Lubber's Knot
- Calf Knot
- Booby Knot
- Garden Knot
- Bourchier Knot
ABOK
- 1206
Structure
A Granny knot superficially resembles the Reef Knot. One way to distinguish a Granny Knot from a Reef Knot is that in the Reef Knot each loop passes completely over, or completely under (not through) the neck of the other. The Reef Knot is commonly taught as left over right, tuck under, then right over left, tuck under. The Granny Knot is the first step repeated twice, left over right, tuck under. This is a very common mistake made by people learning to tie a Reef Knot.Depending upon how the knot is manipulated and stressed, the Granny Knot can capsize — at which point it becomes a Two Half Hitches.
