2019 Geek-A-Long: Naruto

Back when I was a teenager, Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball were the gateway drug to more anime. Now, it’s Naruto.

While I do enjoy anime, I’ll be honest and tell you that I never got around to watching Naruto. At this point, it would be a lifestyle commitment. There is SO MUCH of it. Like, 220 episodes in the original series and then 500 episodes in the sequel series sort of a lot. Based on the fourth best selling manga series of all time, Naruto has been on the air in one form or another since 2002 and has been going strong for so long that there is even an additional series based on his son, Boruto.

For those keep track at home, we’re up to over 800 episodes.

Assuming each episode was about 20 minutes long, you could watch nothing but Naruto for eleven days straight. ELEVEN DAYS.

ELEVEN.

And I’m not even factoring in the movies!

So, if you’ve never heard of Naruto and you’re wondering why we picked it, that’s why. It has a huge fan base. One of which is my baby sister who told me in no uncertain terms that if I didn’t put the Hidden Leaf village’s symbol, which is featured on Naruto’s headband, on a Geek-A-Long square this year, she would riot.

Now that I think about it, I probably should’ve asked her to write this post, but c’est la vie.

Twelve years before the start of the series, the Nine-Tails attacked Konohagakure [Hidden Leaf] destroying much of the village and taking many lives. The leader of the village, the Fourth Hokage, sacrificed his life to seal the Nine-Tails into a newborn, Naruto Uzumaki. Orphaned by the attack, Naruto was shunned by the villagers, who out of fear and anger, viewed him as the Nine-Tails itself. Though the Third Hokage outlawed speaking about anything related to the Nine-Tails, the children — taking their cues from their parents — inherited the same animosity towards Naruto. In his thirst to be acknowledged, Naruto vowed he would one day become the greatest Hokage the village had ever seen.

synopsis taken from naruto.fandom.com

Whether you’re knitting, crocheting, or cross stitching this square, you can download the Naruto 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! 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

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.