In this episode, we begin a countdown of my personal top-10 knots.  We cover the sheep shank, prusik, Siberian hitch, taut line hitch, and alpine butterfly loop.  For most of us, knot-tying isn't an interest in and of itself; it's a practical skill that benefits us in a whole variety of other activities- sailing, fishing, search and rescue, mountaineering, hunting, rock climbing, and many more.