It’s been two crazy years since I finally decided to sit down and learn the Ian Knot, and it’s safe to say that time really flies when you live in the fast lane. With the new knot being up to a second faster, the question remains: What have I done with all the extra time I’ve gained from learning the knot?
I’d seen the Ian Knot linked to on Hacker News several times before, but always quickly disregarded it as too hard, as the GIF showing it was way too fast, it was somewhat difficult to see what was actually happening in the step-by-step instructions, I was already happy with the knot I knew, etc. You might say I didn’t really try, and you’d be right.
Then, Christmas two years ago, I was tying my shoes and thought to myself: “Why shouldn’t I be able to learn it?” and the part of me that loves optimizing things also whispered “Think of all the time I can gain for the rest of my life!”
So I took a shoe, sat down with the website, and went slow, doing it slowly over and over until I finally understood that it wasn’t as hard as I initially thought, but mainly different. Instead of the knot happening in lots of steps, the Ian Knot is about finger placements and how the shoelace is picked up. Pick it up correctly, and the knot almost ties itself!
Following this, I intentionally took the time to slowly tie my shoes in this quick new way whenever it was necessary - and to show it to people whenever possible. Over the course of about a year, it became easier and easier, and then effortless. Mastery rarely comes without effort, but neither does the feeling of accomplishment.
Time-wise, though, the picture isn’t quite clear. During that first year, there were definitely a lot of times where doing the former knot would’ve been faster, so I don’t think much was gained, but I will have many years ahead of me where I will enjoy the benefits of the knot.
I also have to admit that it’s really not the best for small knots or when having to knot with limited lace, mostly due to the required finger setup.
Furthermore, and to much dismay, many times I’m knotting as I walk, meaning I’m saving no time at all! For garments like my bathrobe, sweatpants, and PJs, sometimes I’ll petulantly do the old knot for these, just to be cross.
Speaking of the old knot, there have been times where I’ve almost forgotten how to do it, so beware if you tread down this path.
An unforeseen and somewhat unfortunate aspect of the Ian Knot is that, given its almost magical appearance (“It looks like you skipped a step!”), I’ve been very eager to show it off. Every demo takes several times longer than any time saved, so yeah, there’s that.
Also, many times people have been amazed to such a degree that they’ve requested seeing it multiple times, which of course has reduced the actual time gained further.
Of course, one could argue that these demos have been faster than they otherwise would have been using another knot, and therefore each demo has actually led to an increase in time gained, but this claim is dubious at best.
Anyways, to compensate, I’ve oftentimes found a quiet place afterwards where I could do some repetitions of the Knot and reclaim the lost seconds.
In the end, if I’m being completely honest, it was never really about saving or gaining time. Rather, in a way, it was more about confronting time. I wanted to prove to myself that I could change a pattern learnt over a lifetime, even though (or despite) it being hard and requiring concentrated and sustained effort.
I encounter so many adults of all ages that appear so set in their ways, opinions, and views, many whom also seem proud of this stubbornness and inflexibility. Perhaps it’s a way to shield themselves from failure, but unwillingness to learn and explore new things also provides insulation from wondrous new experiences.
For myself, I hope I’m able to keep a growth mindset as I age, staying curious and open. Whether or not the Ian Knot is a good test for plasticity is up for debate, but I’d like to invite anyone who has disregarded it as too hard or complex to seriously reconsider. Why shouldn’t you be able to learn it? Who says you can’t learn a new language? What good does it really do you to impose limits on yourself?
I wish you a safe and nice New Year’s celebration wherever and whenever you are! May you learn something new in 2026 - maybe a language, or knot :)
Thanks and further discussion
Thank you for reading this! I would love to hear your thoughts, ideas, criticism or praise too. Join the discussion on Hacker News, DM me on LinkedIn, or feel free to email me at <firstname>@klungo.no.