Hey hey! Recently, I have been interested in knot-tying and different knots. Today, I would like to share with you all five of the most basic knots. You can even try these at home!

Knot number one: Overhand Knot a.k.a. Thumb Knot

Out of all knots, this one is by far the simplest, and has been known for millenniums. This knot is known as a “stopper” knot because it is commonly used to stop the end of a rope from fraying (fraying means the rope is unraveling) and also to make sure the end doesn’t get stuck or lost in a tight space. This knot, surprisingly, can be hard to untie if it is tight!

Knot number two: Double Overhand Knot a.k.a. Blood Knot

This knot is tied in a similar way to the Thumb Knot. The difference is that, with the thumb knot, you tie it so that it literally looks like one of those big pretzels that you can get. With the Blood Knot, you don’t want to thread it through the loop just once – you want to do it twice before pulling it tight. How did the Blood Knot get its name, you ask? Well, according to legend, this knot was tied in the ropes of a cat-o’-nine-tails, and the knot could cut through the flesh, hence the name!

Knot number three: Thumb Knot in the Bight a.k.a. Overhand Loop

This is the simplest loop that you can make, and is very fast and easy to tie, so you can use it when you need to hang or fasten something quickly. This knot is also what I like to call an “all-around knot” because it can be used for many things. However, if you need to fasten something heavy to it, you might want to choose a loop that is easier to untie, as this one, when pulled tight, can be very hard to undo!

Knot number four: Reef Knot a.k.a. Square Knot

This knot is known as the Square Knot only in America (it’s also the only knot that uses two ropes in this post!). Elsewhere, it is known as the Reef Knot because you can use it for reefing (reefing means to make the sail smaller). Like the Thumb Knot, it has been known for a long time. It was also commonly used in jewelry. At a time, it was once called the Herakles Knot, and there are various theories as to why. One theory suggests that it was named after a physician who used the knot when bandaging wounds. Another theory says that the hero Herakles -also known as Hercules!- used it to tie together the legs of a lion when he used its hide as a cloak. Today, the knot is used for making a sling for your arm. It also used to tie your belt in Tang Soo Do (a Korean martial art)!

Knot number five: Figure Eight

Like the Thumb Knot, this knot is known as a “stopper” knot. This knot can also be better to use than a Thumb Knot, as the Figure Eight has more bulk and is easier to untie!

Unfortunately, that is all for this post. Keep your eyes peeled for more, and don’t forget to comment!

Hey guys! Sorry I haven’t posted in a while. Not much has been going on lately. Anyways, I was informed about these two amazing videos, and I thought I might just share them with you! This first video is “How Much Does The Internet Weigh?” It’s exactly what it sounds like. The answer may be much less or vastly more than what you would think!

This second video is a camera that takes a trillion frames per second. Yes. A trillion. No joke. With this crazy invention, we can see light traveling in slow motion, and even…well, you’ll see!

Enjoy!