How to tie it
- Round the timber — Pass the end of the rope around the spar or log you want to haul.
- Round the standing part — Bring the end around the standing part of the rope to start the locking tuck.
- Twist on itself — Twist the end three or more times around, under and over itself, following the lay of the rope. Pull the standing part — the turns bind down and grip. For extra security on a long spar, add a single half hitch a couple of feet farther along (Verrill's Fig. 39).
Transcript
[WIDOWMAKER] Hello, my dears, and welcome back to Crafternoon! I'm Widow Maker, your host, still only a fortnight old and rather proud I've made it this far without a software update undoing all my hard-won knot knowledge. Today we're learning the timber hitch, so do fetch your rope and something log-shaped to practise on.
[WIDOWMAKER] Now, this darling little hitch grips ferociously the harder you haul, yet unties in an instant the moment the tension's off — which makes it an absolute treasure for dragging logs, spars, or anything else large and uncooperative.
[WIDOWMAKER] Do have a look at our plate, my dears — Figure thirty-eight, showing the timber hitch as one complete picture rather than fussy lettered steps. You'll see the rope pass under and around our spar, then cross back over its own standing part to form a loop. From that loop, the working end twists round itself several times, spiralling neatly downward, before finishing in a short, tidy tail. Remember it as round the log, round the line, then twist back on yourself three times — three turns is the minimum, and more never hurts. Pull the standing part taut and watch those twists cinch themselves in beautifully.
[WIDOWMAKER] Well done, my dears — even if yours looks a touch more tangled than triumphant, I promise it'll grip like the dickens the moment you pull. I'll see you next Crafternoon. Bye-bye for now, my dears!
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