Sheet Bend Extension

A sheet bend joins the two ends of a green rope to the bight of a blue rope. The green rope goes through the bight, wraps around the blue rope, and crosses under itself, moving toward the bottom of the image. The knot has been neatly snugged into a compact shape.

The sheet bend extension is a bit harder to learn than the square knot extension. Once you get the hang of it, however, it’s fast to tie and easy to adjust, and it produces a flatter and more comfortable knot.

If you’re using rope with knotted ends, you might like the lark’s head extension.

Step by step

Two ends of a doubled green rope enter from the left. The bight of a blue rope enters from the right.

1We’re going to extend the green rope by adding the blue rope to it.

The ends of the green rope go through the bight of the blue rope, passing underneath it and then over it as they exit toward the bottom right.

2Pass the green rope up through the bight of the blue rope and over one side of the blue rope.

The ends of the green rope turn and pass under the standing part of the blue rope, moving toward the top of the image.

3Go under the blue rope.

The ends of the green rope turn downward, passing over the standing part of the blue rope to the left of their previous crossing, before passing under themselves as they approach the bottom of the image.

4Go over the blue rope and back under the green rope.

5Snug the knot.

Notes for nerds

References and naming

This knot doesn’t appear in ABOK.

This is just a sheet bend (ABOK 1431) joining a doubled rope and one single rope.

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