Jac and I joked about both of us writing this post, not necessarily since it’s the last Geek-A-Long square of 2017, but due to the fact that both of us have a deep and undying love for Dick Grayson. We’ve always been big Batman fans but there was something about Chris O’Donnell in the 1995 movie Batman Forever that made eleven-year-old me blossom into a woman. It’s probably the nipples on the suit that did it. I don’t know who in costuming said, “Give me more Bat-Nipples!” But I applaud their life choices.

I will fight off the urge to make some obvious Dick jokes in this post. I bring that up because I’ve been wracking my brain trying to find a better way to say, “Nightwing is my favorite Dick.” But you know what? We’ve been doing this for four solid years. So I think we’re familiar enough now for this. Nightwing is my favorite Dick. He’s dark, damaged, and fictional, which is my favorite kind of man. See also my strong feelings on Zuko and Nemo.

Most people associate Dick Grayson with Robin. And that’s not wrong. Dick was Robin long before he was Nighwing. But I think the reason that I find Nightwing more relatable is that he’s what happens when Robin moves on from Batman. The Batman/Robin relationship is weird under the best of conditions. In most story lines, Bruce Wayne never actually adopts Dick. He takes him in as a legal ward. That’s a strange choice on the writer’s part since Dick’s parents are dead in this scenario. I know I’ll get some flack from Jac for this, but I would argue that Bruce is using Dick. Have you seen The LEGO Batman Movie? There’s this amazing line where the computer calculates that something is 110% impossible and Batman comments that Robin is 110% expendable. It’s super funny in the moment, but also sad because that’s what the relationship was, at least early on. Batman capitalized on Robin’s rage and hurt over the murder of his parents.

Deep down, Dick knows that Bruce is using him. Sure, the billionaire lifestyle does not suck. And let’s be real, when you show up in the Batmobile you can definitely get a date to prom. But between the trauma of losing his parents and his entire life/world in the circus in one day, and then years spent as Batman’s lesser sidekick and Bruce Wayne’s ward (but not son), Dick has so much emotional baggage that he needs a luggage cart just to walk down the hall. Ultimately, Dick grows up. And when he does, he leaves Batman and the Robin persona to become Nightwing. Nightwing isn’t the sidekick, he’s the hero. He’s the poster child for rising above what you were raised to be. I get that.

On a lighter note, as of this post we are four years and over 200 squares into the Geek-A-Long. Whether you’ve been around since the beginning or just recently joined us, we’re thrilled to have you. Next week, Jac will walk you through how she joined the squares for the 2017 Blanket, and we’ll be announcing all the surprises in store for next year throughout December. We want to make the five year anniversary extra special. Anyhow, here is your first spoiler of some of what you can expect from 2018!

GET THE PATTERN

Whether you’re knitting, crocheting, or cross stitching this square, you can view the Nightwing pattern by clicking this link or the download it by clicking the button below. Instructions and charts for both knit and crochet are listed in the pattern. When you’re finished making it, don’t forget to Instagram your squares at us @lattesandllamasyarn with the hashtag #geekalong!

Want to hang out with other people making the blanket? You can find moral support in the Geek-A-Long group on Ravelry here. If you’re having trouble with double-sided knitting, we have a how-to video here. If this is your first time encountering the Geek-A-Long, you can learn more about it, the history behind it, how to participate, and why we do it for Child’s Play Charity on this page.

EDITED TO ADD: This post was edited on February 14, 2021 to update links and upload a revamped pattern format, which includes more information. You can read our post the revamp here.

~ Megan-Anne

And now, back to my leftovers.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider making a donation to Child’s Play Charity. Here is a direct link to our official donation page benefiting the charity. Please help us raise $1,000 this year. No contribution is too small! Wanna make your donation go even further? Lattes & Llamas will donate $1 for every skein of Geek-A-Long Yarn purchased.