Bends
Granny Knot
The square knot's evil twin
DIFFICULTY ●○○○○
What you get when you tie a square knot's second pass the same way as the first instead of mirrored. It looks almost right — and that is exactly the problem.
See it tied step-by-step ↗Why it earns its place
Its only value is being recognized. Knowing the granny on sight is how you catch a mis-tied square knot before it slips — including on your own shoes, where it is why laces come undone.
Where it fails
Slips under load, jams when it does hold, and hides in plain sight as a square knot. If the two loops cross the standing parts instead of lying parallel with them, retie it.
Quick facts
| Type | Mis-tied binding |
| Under load | Unreliable |
| Untying | Jams |
| Best for | Nothing — learn to spot it |