Ahoy, me hearties! Welcome t’ week 12 of the 2014 Geek-A-Long, a mystery blanket knit-along (or crochet-along for ye scallywags out there)! If yer a landlubber or new t’ the GAL, feast yer eyes on the Geek-A-Long FAQ page for more details and information. Then, meet us back here when yer ready. For the seasoned sailors, let’s talk about those scurvy bilge rats, Pirates!

Eve and the serpent, dingoes and babies, nerds and jocks, George Lucas and Star Wars fans, pirates and ninjas… Some rivalries are just naturally ingrained in us and most people tend to stand pretty far on one side or the other. In some ways, that’s one of the chief pleasures of being a nerd. We have so much stuff to be passionate about, so we never ever have to be bored. Weigh in and tell us where you stand on the great pirate vs. ninja debate:

[polldaddy poll=7896991]

We’re ninja folks here at L&L, but the ninja square didn’t work out. I made one and it was cute, but I made the mistake of turning my back on it. When I looked at it again the ninja had disappeared (as ninjas are want to do) and the square was just solid black. My only recourse was to make a pirate square. The design for this one was strongly influenced by the Great Tim Burton. I don’t remember where or what I was doing when I designed most of these, but chances are I was watching The Nightmare Before Christmas. This one is fully reversible, and although when making it I had planned on having the black on white side show, once it was done I liked the white on black better.

Post Edited for 5 Year Anniversary

This post has been edited to add an updated version of the Pirates pattern to celebrate five years of geeking along. The graph is the same, but the pattern now includes more information. You can download the new Pirates pattern by clicking the link. Instructions for both knit and crochet are now listed in the pattern. When you’re finished making it, Instagram your squares at us @lattesandllamasyarn with the hashtag #geekalong! This now concludes the edited portion of this post.

Don’t forget to post links to your finished squares, so we can all ooh and ah together. If you’re having trouble with double-knitting, Jac and I shot a how-to video on the subject. You can find it here. There is also a Geek-A-Long group on Ravelry where we have prizes! ::insert eyebrow wiggle here:: As always, please hop on over to Child’s Play and show them your love*!

~ Megan-Anne
“One could mention many lovable traits in Smee. For instance, after killing, it was his spectacles he wiped instead of his weapon.”

*”Love” in this instance means donating money to benefit sick children.