In reply to UKC Articles:
The first one of these that I've actually watched.
What a palaver to create the clove hitch! Especially with a single rope system such as the Americans use you are on a belay ledge for a long time with significant slack in the system.
With the karabiner gate facing to the right, put the rope in as if it were a runner, i.e. the rope comes up and forwards through the krab to the climber.
With your right hand reach behind the rope and grab the part leading to your harness. Hold the rope in the crook of your thumb.
Pull your hand back the way it came.
Put a half twist in to the rope by twisting towards the krab and using your index finger to lift the rope and form the bight.
Clip the bight thus formed in to the krab.
Done!
The big advantage is that you are at least semi clipped in to the system with only a small amount of slack. It's also very quick, with belay points in place you can be secured in under ten seconds; I've set up a belay using two wires and clipped in in under a minute.
ALC