This is probably what you would at first call a hard knot, and so it is a hard knot to come untied of itself or to slip, but it is easy to untie when necessary. The hard knot most people tie is not quite the same as the square knot, though it does resemble it.
The ordinary hard knot is what is known as the granny knot, a slurring name which means a failure. The granny knot will not always stay tied, it often slips and it cannot be trusted when absolute security is needed.
Begin the square knot with the single first tie ([Fig. 49]). You see the end X turns up over the other rope while the end O laps under the rope. Now bring the two ends together, lapping X over O ([Fig. 50]). Then pass X back under O, making the single tie once more. Now compare what you have done with [Fig. 51]. Notice in the drawing that the ends of rope X are both over the right-hand bight, and the ends of rope O are both under the left-hand bight. Draw the square knot tight and it looks like [Fig. 52]
You cannot make a mistake in tying the square knot if you remember to notice which end is on top, or laps over the other rope when the first single tie is made ([Fig. 49]), and then be sure to lap this same end over the other end in making the second tie which finishes the knot.
Figure-Eight Knot
Use the figure-eight knot to make a knot on the end of a rope or to prevent the end of the strands from untwisting. Form a loop like [Fig. 53] near the end of the rope, bringing the short end over the long rope; then pass the short end under the long rope once, as shown by dotted line, and carry it up over and through the loop ([Fig. 54]). Pull it up tightly to bring the end square across the rope ([Fig. 53]). This knot is not difficult to untie.