Geek-A-Long
2017 Geek-A-Long: Más y Menos
Aug
Before I unapologetically talk about Más y Menos, I wanted to let everyone know that if you’ve ever waffled on whether or not you want to join the Geek-A-Long Guild, today is your last chance until 2018! There are a limited number of slots left, and since this is your last opportunity to get in on the exclusive stuff (like access to the members only page), we wanted to make sure that everyone who wanted to sign up knew that their window to join is closing. You have until it sells out or I log on my computer tomorrow morning to launch our solar eclipse sale.
Side Note: I am super hyped for the eclipse, so much so that my husband is beginning to get concerned that I’ll look at it directly and destroy my already poor eyesight forever. Honestly, he isn’t wrong to worry. I’m a rebel. Here in Philadelphia, maximum eclipse is supposed to happen at 2:44 PM. If you want to find out what time you’ll be rolling the dice with your eyesight, check out this website.
Alright, so I know a few of you are very upset with me right now. “Jac,” you say, “How dare you put Más y Menos on the 2017 Geek-A-Long blanket when there are so many other great or even mediocre DC Superheroes that could’ve taken their place!” As I like to yell at my cat Wesley when he’s running the races over my face at 3 o’clock in the morning instead of sleeping, “Calm your kitten tits.” Inappropriate catchphrases aside, let me explain why they’re mad at me and then I’ll defend my choices.
Más y Menos are superhero tween twins from Guatemala, who speak Spanish and move at super speeds when they are in contact with each other. Their battle cry is, “¡Más y Menos, sí podemos!” which is freaking adorable when they say it. If you don’t speak Spanish, it means: “Plus and Minus, yes we can!” in English.
They remind me a lot of Megan-Anne and I. We aren’t twins, but when you put us together, we often talk too fast and use a slew of idioms few can decipher. Also, their debut on the original Teen Titans really resonated with me, the whole:
People who aren’t family by blood coming together to make their own family to support and be there for each other.
Like a lot of people who decide to devote their lives to making art, we have a dark past. Our lives are split in two, BPA (before we moved to Pennsylvania) and APA (after we moved to Philadelphia). BPA sucked and APA rocks. We left behind abusive relationships and made friends here with people that sometimes feel more like our family than with those whom we share blood. So, I guess, when I see Más y Menos, I get that warm feeling of family and friendship, of knowing someone will always be there to have my back, which is why I felt compelled to put a stylized version of their uniforms on this weeks square.
And now for the reason why some might’ve had a negative knee-jerk reaction to Más y Menos…
The twin Latino superheroes did not get their start in a comic book. They aren’t forgotten heroes from the Golden or Silver Age of DC Comics. They debuted on the 2003 animated television series, Teen Titans. Which is not to be confused with the lesser abomination version, Teen Titans Go. Although, the twins do make an appearance there as well and are just as enchanting.
What’s really cool about their origins, other than the fact that the show was inspired by the Maya Hero Twins myth when they created Más y Menos, is that they were the first characters to be transferred from the cartoon to the comics. They might’ve gotten their start in the animated show, but now they’ve debut in Teen Titans: Titans Around the World.
Whether you’re knitting, crocheting, or cross stitching this square, you can download the Mas y Menos 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
My husband is also worried that I’ll never stop singing “Total Eclipse of the Heart” whenever someone says the word ‘eclipse’ or that someone will overhear me talking about my plans to morph into a weretiger during the eclipse and mistake me for a nutjob. Although, I’ve been talking about it enough that he’s secretly worried I do have weretiger eclipse powers. I don’t know why he’d worry. I plan on being an aloof weretiger, not a bitey weretiger. Unless of course, someone tries to pet my tummy more than twice. Then, I’ll bite the shit out their hand as is protocol.
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