Languages, Idiomas, Langues, 语言

I want this poster.

When I was little, I lived in the US for about two years and a half. First, when I was 3 months old, we moved to El Paso, TX, because my dad was doing his Master’s degree. Then, when I was 4, we moved to Nashville, TN, for a year and a half, because he was doing his PhD. I don’t know, I guess English kind of stuck with me since then, because I never really needed classes, and apparently I learned to read in English first. I am Mexican, so Spanish is my mother tongue, even if I can’t stop mixing it up with English. Also, I have this thing where I don’t really enjoy reading books in Spanish, but then I’ll read the same one in English, and it’ll be much more interesting. My friend Georgina thinks that it’s because I learned English first, so that is the language I associate with reading. On the other hand, speeches somehow sound better to me in Spanish. It’s weird how different languages can communicate different things with similar words.

A few years later, when I started high school (in 2005), I started taking French. Three and a half years later, I wouldn’t say I know French per se… More like I guess I could communicate properly if I went to France or Québec, but I doubt I could get into a discussion and actually speak my mind. I quit French this semester, so I’m at that stage where I can read a book and infer the meanings I don’t know by context. I am really shy about speaking it, though. My “I kind of learned French in school but not quite” accent is way too obvious. During high school, I also took some brief classes in German and Italian. None of it stuck, because I didn’t stick with the classes, but it was an interesting experience. Finally, I started taking Chinese (Mandarin) last semester, and it’s pretty cool. It is the first time in my life where I am totally blank on a language. The grammar and pronounciation are pretty easy, but writing is damn hard. It takes a lot of practice and memorizing. The point of this post was pretty much that I wanted to complain about how freakin hard my Chinese homework has been lately. Like, whoa, it takes hours and hours of study to actually understand it. Makes me wonder why I am doing it… My dad wants me to consider studying in China for a while, which would be pretty cool, but I am keeping my options open for a while. Taking this class is my way of doing that. Okay, back to doing homework. 再见 (good bye)！

Quaker Cinnamon Squares Scarf

Weaving in the tails of a yarn change in a multi-color scarf is a pain in the ass. At least for me, because it took me approximately 2 days to figure out how to do it, using the instructions in this article. I know it’s supposed to be one of the easy finishing touches, but dammit it’s so hard. Whenever I finished weaving a tail, it would show on the other side of the scarf, or it would stay visible! Or weird stuff would happen, like when a stitch was really loose, so I thought it was one of the tails and I pulled, and THE WHOLE FREAKIN ROW CAME OUT. What the hell?! I am so tempted to learn how to do Russian Joins, but I just know it will take me a long time to figure out. I am way too lazy to learn stuff beyond the basics, until I master the basics. I’m afraid that if I go for something too hard, I will lose interest.

Red Heart "Windsor Blue" Worsted Yarn

In other news, my Checks & Eyelets scarf is about 3/4 done. I like the way it’s turning out, and I’m glad I have so much of the yarn I’m using, because I love it. It’s thick, warm, and the color (Windsor Blue) is very pretty. I’m debating whether to add fringes or not… I’m leaning towards no, particularly because I think the checks look good by themselves. Besides, it doesn’t seem to be curling, so I don’t think it needs them. I think it’s gonna end up being a gift for someone, but I don’t know who. It was supposed to just be an exercise to help me learn to purl correctly, but it’s actually turning out quite nice. My mom (whose birthday is today; happy birthday, Mom!) did ask for a warm scarf a few months ago, so maybe she’ll be the lucky winner.

Red Heart "Aran" Worsted Yarn

Since I can’t have only one work in progress, I started knitting what could very well turn into a scarf or a cushion in basketweave stitch, using Aran yarn. I feel so lucky, because I got all this yarn from a woman I met through Freecycle, so it was entirely free; yet it is very good yarn. This pattern is made of little squares of stockinette and reverse stockinette stitches, so it’s curling a bit… Maybe I could knit a whole scarf with it, knit a second one, and then sew them together to hide the “wrong” side of the pattern. The result would be a very thick and warm scarf, that would also look awesome. Of course, it would take about twice as long to finish this project, not to mention how it scares me a bit that I may not have enough yarn. Either way, I love the way it’s turning out, because the squares look like Quaker Cinnamon Squares, and make me hungry everytime I look at them.

I’m starting to think that the URL for this blog is a little deceiving, because not everything I write is about fashion… Meh, I can live with that.

Dr. Who Chic at Marc by Marc Jacobs

Confession time: I do not like Marc Jacobs’s clothes. Fashionistas might say I just don’t get him, but still. I think they are overly crazy, and not entirely brand-conscious. Like, I doubt that in future generations someone would recognize this frumpy 80′s extravaganza, this pastel Grandma costume (tights and peep-toe shoes?), and this “Little House in the Prairie” ensemble as being by the same designer. I understand being creative, but designing clothes for a famous label should also be about being able to identify with it. That said, what he does for his other brand, Marc by Marc Jacobs, pretty much always hits the awesome mark. Some comments about his Fall/Winter 2009 collection after the cut.

A diamond might last forever, but a fandom scarf lasts until that fandom’s sequel

I admit it: My name is Francisco and I am obsessed with scarves. And the thing is it’s not very easy to explain why. I grew up in a city where the weather is sauna-like about 90% of the year, and where 15°C (59°F) is considered “ohmygod where is my coat?”-cold. A couple of years ago, I joined a musical theater group, and in order to sing properly, I had to take care of my throat. So, my mom’s friend gave me my first scarf; a khaki one knit in seed stitch. Then I bought my knitting loom, and I started making scarves like there was no tomorrow! This past June, I finally made one for myself. It is 7.5 ft long, and has lapislazuli and black panels. I love it. After making that one, I discovered the concept of “fandom knitting”, and the fact that there are tons of fandom scarves out there! So that is my current obsession: making my collection of fandom scarves grow. Below is a list of fandom scarves I have or plan on making in the future, counting down to my favorite one.

Hi-Liter might sponsor Michael Kors

Entry in which I pretty much proclaim my love for Michael Kors’s Fall 2009 collection. Sophistication and neon for the win, y’all!

“Checks & Eyelets”, NOT “ohmygod cute flowers”

Checks & Eyelets

Like the cool dudes at MenKnit.net, I would definitely call myself a knitter. It all started in the winter of 2007. I was sick, stuck at home (being contagious sucks), and I was bored out of my mind. A few days earlier, my mom had bought a knitting loom for my little sister, and she wasn’t that interested by it. The loom was there, I was there, one thing led to another… and soon enough, I was knitting more often than my sister. When she started complaining about that, I knew it was time to get one of my own. Now, you can only knit scarves with this kind of loom, but I still enjoyed it a lot. I made one for my brother (lapislazuli blue), one for my mom (violet), one for my dad (brown), one for my friend Rocío (“denim blue” knobbly yarn), and a lot of experimental ones for my sister.

This past December, I was told that, like, ohmygawd, knitting with a loom is totally fake knitting. I believed them at first, and I’m glad I did, because it gave me an excuse to grab my grandma’s old knitting needles, and go at it! I’m not gonna lie; it took a while to learn. The yarn was too tight, the needles were too long and thin, my pulse wasn’t helping, etc. It wasn’t pretty at first. But then it got progressively easier, and taddah! I had a new hobby to nurture! After that, I had to come back to Monterrey for college, and in a tragic turn of events, the stupid airline didn’t let me travel with my needles. I know, I know, “how stupid of you to try to take them as carry on luggage.” In my defense, I wasn’t planning to do that in the first place. Excess luggage in my other bag was not part of the plan, dammit! Either way, once I got here, I went on Freecycle and got free needles and yarn from some very friendly ladies. So fear not, for the knitting was resumed soon enough!

I am currently making a scarf with the “Checks & Eyelets” pattern, as well as a long thin one with garter stitch. I am kindda sick of being told that the checks look like flowers. My scarf is blue, how does that look like flowers? I mean, I appreciate the attention I get from the opposite sex when they see me knitting, I really do, but flowers? And I always seem to have the same conversation with them:

Random Girl: Ohmygod, are you knitting?
Me: Yeah, why?
Random Girl: What is it?
Me: A scarf.
Random Girl: I love scarves. Like, seriously, I am in love with scarves and would REALLY APPRECIATE a new one. The one you’re knitting looks pretty, by the way.
Me: Uh, thanks.
Random Girl: SERIOUSLY, I LOVE SCARVES. And that’s kindda girly, is it for you?
Me: I’m just making it to practice my purl stitches. I guess I could always give it to my sister if it’s too girly or something.
Random Girl: I gotta go, but seriously, I WOULD LOVE A NEW SCARF.

Maybe I should take advantage of these conversations and use my mojo on them. Oh buh-have!

Ladies, ladies, there is enough classiness for everyone

Some designers seem to have gone back to lady-like silhouettes and elements. Hard times call for clothes we can trust. To be honest, I dig most of the trends that go in that direction. In this post, I discuss some DKNY, Carolina Herrera, Victoria Beckham, and Donna Karan.

Ah, fashion

Vogue Mexico October 2008: Coco Rocha is hot.

Most people wouldn’t expect to get fashion advice from a bespectacled college student that wears his school’s t-shirts about 5 days a week. The truth is most specimens of my species tend to stick to their Laptops, RPG, and maybe (if they are kind of old-fashioned) to their favorite books. Don’t get me wrong, I love reading and my Laptop as much as the next guy, but I also believe that unusual hobbies are what make me me. In my case, those are fashion, knitting, pop music, and cheesy TV shows. I’ve gotten plenty of reactions from people who find out about that; from the ones that assume I am as brainless as most of the other people that like those things, to those that simply stick to assumptions based on gender and sexual orientation. Because, like, ohmyGod, only gay men can like fashion! I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t really care anymore. The point of this blog is to get my thoughts on those subjects out for people to see, instead of continuously forcing my friends to read and/or hear about them. Maybe if they are in the open, people who are interested in them would like to read them, right? I think the word “random” is overused when it comes to blogging, but I can’t deny that it would describe me very well. Just a friendly warning.

Ah, fashion. That strange gray area where there are no blacks or whites when it comes to what is beautiful and what is ugly. Like Voltaire said: if it didn’t exist, we would have to invent it. Personally, I don’t consider myself a fashionista. I am merely a person that likes to keep up with the comings and goings of what designers decide people should wear. I like what I like, I hate what I hate, and I don’t usually let people tell me what is hot or what is not. I don’t believe in fashion authority,  which is why I decided to just speak (or write) my mind. The worst thing that can happen is that a few people may disagree with them, and to be honest, it doesn’t scare me. Discussions come out of disagreements, and that is the fun part of communication. Back to the point, New York Fashion Week is going on as we speak! Tomorrow, I will probably post my thoughts on the collections that call for my attention. Right now I must sleep, for Business Law class is in 7 hours.