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Two Loop Shoelace Knot
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Also known as the "Bunny Ears" shoelace knot (due to its two loops) or as the "Bowknot": Make a loop with both
ends, then simply tie a knot with them. It's often tied incorrectly, resulting in an un-balanced
Granny Knot.
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Step 1:
Tie a Left-over-Right
Starting Knot as shown, then make both ends into "loops" by simply doubling them back onto themselves. People
often refer to these as "Bunny Ears".
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Step 2:
Cross the two loops over each other so that the right (blue) loop ends up in front and the left (yellow) loop ends
up behind. The yellow loop is now the right loop.
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Step 3:
Begin to wrap the right (yellow) loop around the left (blue) loop to end up in front.
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Step 4:
Start to feed the right (yellow) loop into the "hole" that has just been made. This is really the same as if you
were tying a regular shoelace knot, except that you are working with a loop instead of a loose end.
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Step 5:
With the right (yellow) loop now through the "hole", grab hold of both loops and start to pull the knot tight.
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Step 6:
Notice that the loose end of the right (yellow) loop drops back down to the front left, making the finished knot
exactly the same as if you'd used the regular method.
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Finished Knot
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If tied
correctly, the finished "Two Loop Shoelace Knot" is identical to either the
Standard Shoelace Knot or even my own
Ian Knot, the World's Fastest Shoelace Knot. |
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NOTE:
If your finished knot comes out crooked, it's probably because you tie your
Starting Knot the opposite way to mine. This will result in an un-balanced "Granny Knot", which both sits
crooked and comes undone more easily. See my
Slipping Shoelace Knots page for more information.
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*** Granny Knot Warning! ***
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Kids find it easier to learn this "Two Loop Shoelace Knot" because the technique is so similar to the simple
"half-knot" that they probably already know. Tie one half-knot (the
Starting Knot), then form the ends into loops and tie a second half-knot (this Two Loop Knot).
Naturally, people tend to tie both of those stages in the same direction. For example, tying a left-over-right
starting knot, then a left-over-right finishing bow.
Unfortunately, doing so results in an un-balanced
Granny Knot, which sits crooked and comes undone more easily.
It's important to know that the two
stages of the knot ("Starting Knot" and "Finishing Bow") must be tied in
opposite directions in order for the finished knot to be "balanced", which means it will sit straight and stay
secure.
When teaching this knot, it's
CRUCIAL to understand and teach the difference! Please see my
Slipping Shoelace Knots page that discusses this in detail.
A second, unrelated problem is that kids will often be teased as they get older for using this "Kiddie's Knot",
despite it being a perfectly good method if done correctly.
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Technical Details
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Technical Name:
This knot appears in
The Ashley Book of Knots as #1212 and #1214,
"The Bowknot", where it is described as
"... the universal means of fastening shoe-strings together."
Alternative Name:
The technique is also commonly referred to as the "Bunny Ears" (or "Rabbit Ears") method, which refers to the
story that is often used to help children remember the steps:
- First make the top of the bunny's head (ie. tie the
Starting Knot);
- Next make the two bunny ears (ie. form the two loops);
- Tie the bunny's ears together (ie. make the finishing bow with the two loops).
As far as I know, there is no actual "bunny ears" shoelace tying song or rhyme, rather, it was only ever told as
a simple story.
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