2017 Geek-A-Long: Groot

So, if I’m being totally honest, I really only have exposure to Guardians of the Galaxy through the movie. That’s part of the magic of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for me: that we can get exposure to new and exciting heroes without having to devote hours to combing through the several reboots of that character that likely exist in print. Mr. Llama, who makes my very substantial comic knowledge look like nothing, informs me that Groot was originally a monster in one of the Marvel Monster Comics and then later, when Marvel was trying to figure out what to do with some of their D list characters, he wound up with Rocket Racoon in the Guardians of the Galaxy. As a fun aside, Rocket is actually loosely based on the Beatles song “Rocky Raccoon“.

While I’m not really qualified to speak on Groot’s comic origin, I’m OVER qualified to speak about things Vin Diesel does. He’s my OTL, if you were wondering. I’m sure he will agree when we meet at some point. I’ve known our love is true and pure since high school when he was Xander Cage and I was as smitten as a teeny bopper could be. As a comedic aside, I do not recommend googling XXX. Since I’m the only person I know who actively wants to watch it, it’s not on Netflix streaming, but you can get it super cheep on Amazon. Despite that, a sequel is coming next week and I’m stoked.

If you haven’t seen Guardians of the Galaxy, go buy it immediately. Supposedly there is a secret script with an interpretation of what Groot meant for every time he spoke that only the director and Vin Diesel have seen. I don’t think Vin gets enough credit for his performance as Groot. He conveyed a lot with his one line, and I still tear up every time he says:

We are Groot.

The new movie comes out in May, and even though the wait is killing me, at least that means I’ll be able to watch it at the drive in, which is the best possible scenario.

Whether you’re knitting, crocheting, or cross stitching this square, you can download the Groot pattern here, featuring every ones favorite dancing plant. 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!

If you’re having trouble with double-sided knitting, we have a how-to video here and a tutorial on crochet here. Want to hang out with other people making the blanket? You can find moral support in the Geek-A-Long group on Ravelry here.

~ Megan-Anne
Mr. Llama “I thought you already did a GotG square before. You already talked about the song. 

Me “No, that was just us. We talked about it when we saw the movie. Sometimes we talk and I don’t blog about it.”

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