2018 Geek-A-Long: Stranger Things

I’ve been sick a lot lately, and not the fun kind of sick where you get to lay on the couch all day knitting. It’s the lay in a dark room and try not to move too much kind of sick. It’s a real bummer. Migraines are the worst. So, even through bookwyrm requested Joyce’s Christmas Lights in her nomination on the Fight For Your Fandom voter thread, I went with something I knew I could design relatively quickly: Chibis. It’s a Japanese art style I find easy to do, and it didn’t involve me having to strain my already tired eyes to make an extreme double knitting chart for the letters. We will definitely do it one day since I freaking LOVE stranger things, but this year I went with my girl Eleven in the real world and a Demogorgon mirrored in the Upside Down.

Stranger Things!

As you [Jac] said, it’s obvious why it belongs, but:

1. 80’s geeky goodness
2. They name their bad guys after D&D monsters
3. Girl power! Go 11!
4. I’d love to see either the Shadow Monster / Mind Flayer, a variation of the logo, or Joyce’s Christmas lights portrayed in yarn
5. The geeks are the ones who save the world, and this is the Geek-A-Long blanket

If you’ve never heard of Stranger Things or haven’t taken the plunge to watch it yet, it is a Netflix original that is also now available on DVD. The science fiction/horror television show takes place in Hawkins, Indiana. Because all the worst things happen in Indiana, just ask the Winchesters (Supernatural), Marshall Teller (Erie, Indiana), or me since I was born there and have to keep apologizing to my Philly friends for Pence. But seriously though, bookwrym is right. Stranger Things belongs on the GAL blanket and in our hearts, for the pure reason that it’s about a group of geeky kids out to save the world.

Dustin, Lucas, Will, and Mike are 12-year old boys and best friends that love to play Dungeons & Dragons, get bullied at school, and are in the AV Club. It’s all typical 80s nerd-boy fare until their lives get turned upside down (heh heh, see what I did there?) when Will goes missing. Then, the story starts to unfold into something more along the lines of X-Files or Supernatural. A creature, which they later name after the Demagorgon from their D&D monster manual, abducts Will and takes him to the Upside Down, while a young psychokinetic girl named Eleven escapes from a nearby laboratory and ends up assisting the friends in their search for Will. There are other characters and storylines that intersect with theirs like Will’s mother Joyce or the police chief, Jim Hopper, who my family and I loving refer to as “Tough Justice Cop.” But, if you ask me, the friendship between the four boys with the later addition of Eleven, is the core of the show.

The trouble with talking about a show I love is that I either want to talk forever about every little nuance of the show or I’m so overwhelmed by how there’s so much to talk about, I have no idea where to start. So, here are the cliff notes of my opinions about Stranger Things. These will most likely contain spoilers, so read them at your own risk.

• Nancy is a shitty person. She was a terrible friend to Barb and then a jerk to Steve. Also, who in their right mind picks their former stalker over Steve? Like, sure, he messed up, but he had some serious character growth, atoned for it, and then became a bad ass.
• Every single girl at the Winter Ball that shaded Dustin are gonna be hella sad when he’s done pulling a Neville. The kid is sweetheart, and has some of the best dialog. See also, the “curiosity door” speech he gives to Mr. Clarke.
• Steve Harrington morphing from a stressed out, popular high school student to the single mother of a ragtag group of nerds was my favorite part of season two.
• Mr. Clarke, the science teacher at Hawkins Middle School, is the unsung hero of Stranger Things. I like that he takes Dustin’s off-the-wall questions in stride. It shows how accepting and understanding he is an educator. Instead of chastising the boys for not “grieving properly” or calling him late on the the weekends to ask about sensory deprivation chambers, he routinely tumbles down the rabbit hole with them and unknowingly helps them understand what has happened to Will and how they might rescue him from the Demogorgon. I was a little bummed he didn’t get added to the monster hunting crew in season two. I always thought he’d make a great addition, especially since he’s already consulting on alternate dimensions.
• When are they going to let Joyce catch a break? That poor woman. My heart breaks for her.
• When we had a viewing party of Stranger Things season 2, we went through a Costco amount of Eggo waffles and syrup.
• I was happy they gave Dustin and Lucas more screen time in season two. I felt as if they got overlooked in season one, and I hope they develop the characters more in season three.
• My husband wasn’t a fan of Eleven’s Chicago storyline in season two. He maintains that it messed up the pacing, but I liked it.

Whether you’re knitting, crocheting, or cross stitching this square, you can download the Stranger Things pattern here. 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.

~ Jac

Mr. Clarke: Hello?

Dustin Henderson: Mr Clarke, it’s Dustin.

Mr. Clarke: Dustin? Is everything okay?

Dustin Henderson: Ye-yeah, I just, I, I have a… science question.

Mr. Clarke: It’s ten o’clock on Saturday. Why don’t we pick this up on…

Dustin Henderson: Do you know anything about sensory deprivation tanks? Specifically how to build one?

Mr. Clarke: Sensory deprivation…? Wh-what is this for?

Dustin Henderson: Fun.

Mr. Clarke: Okay. Well. Why don’t we talk about it Monday, after school. Okay?…

Dustin Henderson: You always say we should never stop being curious, to always open any curiosity door we find.

Mr. Clarke: Dustin…

Dustin Henderson: Why are you keeping this curiosity door locked?

* * * * *

If you enjoyed this post, please consider making a donation to Child’s Play Charity. Here is a direct link to our official donation widget 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. Ask your local yarn store to carry GAL Yarn or get it through our website.