Knots for tree swing

By the way, the branch is fairly easily reachable, so I don't have to worry about any fancy stuff with tossing the rope over a high branch or anything.

I'd tie at the hooks themselves if that is the limit of your choices but.... How about another alternative?

I'd tie rope around the tree branch and knot that (Putting the rope through a length of old garden hose wouldn't be a bad idea either. It'll protect the tree better!) and then tie the other ends of the ropes to a length of chain. The hooks on the swing ropes could then be hooked through the chain links.

By using the chain it will be much easier to level the swing and you can raise/lower it easily. Getting knots at the same heights always seems to be an excercise in frustration.

I would suggest a "rolling hitch" knot on the metal hooks. Or maybe a "fisherman's knot" I'll see if I can find a link for ya.

Fisherman's knot is a barrel knot. The way this is done is you put the line through the eye of the hook, and make a loop. Then twist until there are around 8-10 twists in the loop, take the end of the line and put it through the hole between the first twist and the hook-eye, then back through the hole at the other end of the twists. Pull and it will tighten, sliding down to the hook, and will never come untied.

Thanks, guys!

Fishin', your method sounds good -- I had thought of the chains, but things kept getting more complicated at Menard's (went in for one thing, came out with 8) and the guy I talked to said just rope should be fine. If we had some chains hanging around, I'd want to do it, but I don't want to go out and buy more stuff. (I live with a VERY annoying neat freak who is constantly cleaning out the garage and won't let things like chains and old hoses linger.)

Btw I'm pretty happy with the tube thing, it has ridges so it's less likely to slide around once it's in place.

Max, is this what you mean?

http://www.mistral.co.uk/42brghtn/knots/42ktroll.html

http://www.mistral.co.uk/42brghtn/knots/42ktfish.html

At this site, the knot I'm referring to is called a "clinch knot":

http://www.fishingcairns.com.au/page6-1.html

Yes Sozobe the first link you listed is the one!

Since I don't know the others, I'll stick with a bowline hitch.

Excellent!

OK, so at this point what I am planning to do is tie the rope to the hooks, then separately tie the other end to the tree. I like the suggestions for tying the rope to the hooks, are there any suggestions for tying the rope to the tree? Just standard?

(I like that clinch knot. Simple.)

Here's my latest idea...

Take a good length of rope. Tie one end of it to a swing hook. I have three 18-inch lengths of that ridged tubing. Wrap the rope around the tree several times, going through the tubing, then place one at a right angle -- going along the tree branch -- put the rope through that, then wrap the rope around the branch 18 inches down, going through the 3rd piece of tubing, then where it comes out, tie it to the other swing hook. No intervening knots, just the knots at either hook and a bunch of wrapping/ securing in between. (The tubing is about 2 inches in diameter and should help keep the two ropes apart.)

That SO didn't work.

I had one of two branches in mind. One is lower, but more parallel to the ground. One is higher, but about a 45 degree angle.

The lower one, while a good 7 feet (?) off the ground, was too low to hang the swing off of an have enough clearance underneath -- I'd have to put the part of the rope with the hook over the branch, if that makes any sense.

The higher one gave me fits in trying to anchor it so that it wouldn't slide. I think if I get rid of the stupid tubes, I can wind it tightly around some smallish projections (like where large branches had been cut off before, leaving a "stump" of about an inch) and that will be enough. It won't last 10 years, but she won't be using it for 10 years. (A year or 2 at most -- we won't be here longer than that.)

Oh but the knot rocked. Thanks, cjhsa!

You're welcome, it's always worked for me.