Larks head knot by KiteLife

Transcript

1. ›

   Introduction

   0:00

   In this tutorial, we'll cover one of the most basic aspects of setup, the larks head knot. It's self-tightening and very easy to use — I even use it around the house to hang plants. Here, we use it to attach lines to the handles or the kite, and some dual line kite bridles also use it for adjustment.

2. ›

   Tying the knot

   0:26

   What we have here, of course, is the loop in the line. To start a larks head knot, I place two fingers inside, fold them downward, and get this small crossover. There are two ways to complete it: one is to pinch the crossover and close the two loops together; the other, once you're familiar with it, is to fold downward and close the loops in one movement.

3. ›

   Attaching and removing

   0:54

   Once the larks head knot is started, I place it onto the knot here, tighten the loops, and make sure to slide the knot down to the end so it isn't likely to loosen and come off. To remove it, I grab the crossover here, the small loop, pull it out to loosen, and remove.

4. ›

   Pull tab for gloves

   1:19

   Some folks fly in cold conditions with gloves, which makes small items hard to work with. They often put a pull tab or knot at the end of their sleeving, like this. I create the larks head knot again and put it onto the leader; with the pull tab, even with gloves, it's easy to grab that knot, loosen it and remove it. And there you have your basic introduction to the larks head knot.

5. ›

   Key points

   1:55

   Key points to remember: when attaching a larks head knot, make sure it is tightened properly so it doesn't come loose, and slide it up against the knot you're attaching it to. A sloppy attachment can let one line come off in mid-flight, a sure recipe for tangles. You can tie a knot in the end of your loop as an easy pull tab, or sew or tie on another piece of string or material for the same purpose.