How to Form a Lasso

Take a piece of string. For a lasso, the precise length isn't important, as long as it's enough to tie the knot, loop and swing it over your head.Any excess can be wrapped up and taken with you.For adults, about ten meters is enough;for children, the shorter the better.

• If you're just practicing, any type of rope will do.However, if you really intend to use the lasso, it is best to use a thin, sturdy rope with some stiffness.The stiffness makes the rope a little harder to knot, but it remains an ideal quality as it allows you to “push” the rope to change the size of the loop.

Tie a loose overhand knot. The first step in creating a lasso is a simple knot.This is the classic first knot for tying your shoes.To make one, simply create a loop in your rope, then thread one end through the loop.Don't tighten this knot – keep it loose and give yourself plenty of room to work with.You will modify this simple knot in the next steps.If done correctly, your rope should now look like a big “O” with a loose knot at the bottom.

Thread the tail of the rope back through the knot. Grab the short end.Pull the rope towards you and over the “O” shaped ring.Thread it between the outside of the “O” part of the simple knot and itself.Pull the rope so that 15 cm passes.A new loop will form and become the base of your lasso.

Gently tighten the knot without pulling the tail all the way. Pull the loose end of the rope (the end you will hold to throw the lasso) and the new loop you just created.As you do this, be careful not to pull the end back through the knot.In the end, you should have a tight knot at the base of a small ring (with the end also coming out of the knot).This is called honda node.

Thread the excess end through the honda knot. Bottom line, simply thread the long end of the rope through the small loop of your honda knot to form a working lasso.By pulling the excess part, you can tighten the lasso to grab objects.

Tie a locking knot (optional). If you're making a lasso for fun or beauty, you're done.However, if you are serious about using it, you may want to add a final knot to make your lasso more durable and easier to use.As it stands, the short end of the lasso can be pulled back thanks to the honda knot, untying the knot and ruining the lasso.To avoid this, just tie a small locking knot at the end.A simple knot will suffice.