larkshead

The larkshead, or lark's head knot, is a simple hitch used to attach a rope or cord to an object such as a ring, post, dowel, or another rope. It is widely utilized in sailing, climbing, camping, and macrame to secure lines or to begin patterns.

To tie the basic larkshead knot, form a bight or loop in the working part of the rope, place the loop around the object, and pass the free end back through the loop, pulling tight to secure. A doubled version, made with a doubled rope or by looping the rope before tying, creates two parallel wraps and provides greater security. Variants include the larkshead hitch, which is essentially a larkshead tied around a post, and the doubled larkshead used when a stronger attachment is needed.

Properties and use: the larkshead forms a stable attachment that is easy to tighten and adjust. It holds well when loaded in the plane of the rope around the object and is relatively quick to untie after removing load. However, under certain conditions it can slip if the rope is slick or the load is not directed perpendicular to the wraps. It is generally not recommended for critical safety circumstances where high dynamic loads are involved without additional securing knots.

In practice, the larkshead is common in macrame for anchoring cords to rings or dowels, in camping and sailing for attaching lines to hardware, and as a versatile starting knot for more complex rope-work.