The Figure Eight Knot
An end knot
End knots are those you tie at the end of a rope. They're good to hold the separate strands together so the rope doesn't fray. End knots also prevent rope from pulling through something it has been fed through such as a block and tackle or an eye-bolt.
The figure 8, named for its final shape, is the most basic of these.
Step 1: Bend it
Hold the rope with the long end
leading away from your hands. Bend the rope into a U shape. The
bottom of the U is where you want the knot to end up.
Step 2: Cross it
Cross the free end over the working
end. Hold the resulting loop at the point where the ends cross.
Pass the free end around behind the working end. Pull it back toward you again.
Step 3: Thread
it
Push the free end down through the loop at the bottom of the U.
Pull gently on both ends to snug. The finished knot will look like two interlocking loops-- like a figure 8 with an end trailing out of each loop.