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Is there a good knot resource that helps you start from "I need to..."?

e.g. "I need to make a loop that doesn't slip." "I need to tie two ropes of different widths together." etc.

I know most knot books and sites do tell you the purpose of a knot, but I often find their organization doesn't easily lead me to the answer.

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The closest thing I've found to what you're asking for is "The Complete Book of Knots" by Geoffrey Budworth which is generally organized into sections related to typical activities such as sailing, general outdoors, and home use. It's not nearly as comprehensive as Ashley's Book of Knots, but in brevity there is power in helping to find the right knot for the right purpose without being overwhelming.

The book I learned from suggested five types of knots for different problems and suggested learning one of type, which I found to be a great starting point.

The five were: a stopper knot, to keep a line from pulling through something, a fixed loop, a running loop, a hitch (attach a line to a thing), and a bend (attach a rope to a rope).

My go-to knots were a figure 8, bowline, running bowline, clove hitch, and sheet bend respectively.

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