Alice is helping me revamp the layout of the blog (it's easier than I thought!). We're still working out the kinks, but I like this better than the boring layout I was using before (simply because I don't like the colors in most of the Blogger layouts).
I had my thesis review yesterday, so I've got to turn in the final edits by tomorrow. The frustrating thing? Out of the four teachers and two TAs in the review, only two of them had bothered to read my thesis. In Alice's case, only one teacher bothered to read it. We spend so much time on these theses, trying to get them done and turned in a week in advance of our reviews, and no one bothers to read them? I find that more than a little irritating.
Since the review is done, I'm going to call the sock done. It isn't acutally finished, but there's no way I can rip back the needed two inches and then knit everything from the heel down by tomorrow (not on size 0's, and not when I have no idea what I'm doing). Eventually, I will finish it, but it's not going to be this week.
Packing has commenced and is roughly 75% complete. I can't find anything and so far I've got two boxes of stuff, plus a shopping bag, a coat, and a pair of boots to donate. And a bag of medication, since all I seem to do here is get sick. Case in point: I would have updated a few days ago, but I came down with a stomach bug on Monday. I'm still feeling completely great, but since last night I've managed to eat two actual meals which is an improvement.
On top of everything else, K, our other roommate, has suddenly decided that the housing situation is "completely unacceptable and inappropriate"--but only since I got sick. She won't even make eye contact with me. I'm sorry, the next time I decided to get laid up for two days with a stomach bug, I'll check to make sure it's convenient for your first. Gr. Some people...
And now I have a thesis to edit and print, a blog layout to adjust, more packing to do, and at least one more load of laundry. Three days and then I'll be headed home!
Showing posts with label thesis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thesis. Show all posts
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Linked
I posted the first chapter of the new Cassie Tanner novel on Fiction Press this morning. If you would like to read it, you can do so from here (you may need to make an account to read it, but it's free, and will allow you to leave comments and sign up for notifications when new chapters are posted).
I haven't been doing as much "fun" (i.e. not school related) writing as I want to, but I did edit four chapters yesterday and since I've got a nice chunk of the thesis done, I feel like I can take a little time to work on other things.
Mostly though, I've been working on this:
Which will eventually look like this, only at a smaller gauge (and pink):
Which is based on this:
Which is a close up of these.
All of this is for my thesis, which is about the conservation of knits, and you can't talk about the conservation of knits without talking about their history, and you can't talk about the history without mentioning those stockings which, according to Richard Rutt's History of Handknitting, the only accurate source on the history of knitting to my knowledge, are the first examples of purl stitches as decorative elements, and are very possibly our earliest example of flat knitting.
I find these stockings fascinating for several reasons, not the least of which is the woman who owned them, but I want to know more about how they were made, so I'm reconstructing them with modern materials. So far I've got everything charted out and I'm about halfway through knitting the lattice pattern on the cuff (still need to update the pictures, though). I'm keeping a journal of everything I'm doing for my thesis, and I'll be posting some of the info on my Ravelry page. They're being knit on size 2 mm (US 0) needles, which is really, really hard on my hands. I can get about ten rows a day in, max. I suppose that's respectable, but I need to have them as finished as possible by April 3. I'm still fiddling with the pattern. Once I'm done with my thesis and everything, I'd like to adapt the pattern for a slightly thicker yarn and make them in the round, which I feel would solve a lot of the problems I'm having with the math.
But for now, I've still got 20 pages to write and at least 12 inches of knitting to do.
I haven't been doing as much "fun" (i.e. not school related) writing as I want to, but I did edit four chapters yesterday and since I've got a nice chunk of the thesis done, I feel like I can take a little time to work on other things.
Mostly though, I've been working on this:
Which will eventually look like this, only at a smaller gauge (and pink):
Which is based on this:
Which is a close up of these.
All of this is for my thesis, which is about the conservation of knits, and you can't talk about the conservation of knits without talking about their history, and you can't talk about the history without mentioning those stockings which, according to Richard Rutt's History of Handknitting, the only accurate source on the history of knitting to my knowledge, are the first examples of purl stitches as decorative elements, and are very possibly our earliest example of flat knitting.
I find these stockings fascinating for several reasons, not the least of which is the woman who owned them, but I want to know more about how they were made, so I'm reconstructing them with modern materials. So far I've got everything charted out and I'm about halfway through knitting the lattice pattern on the cuff (still need to update the pictures, though). I'm keeping a journal of everything I'm doing for my thesis, and I'll be posting some of the info on my Ravelry page. They're being knit on size 2 mm (US 0) needles, which is really, really hard on my hands. I can get about ten rows a day in, max. I suppose that's respectable, but I need to have them as finished as possible by April 3. I'm still fiddling with the pattern. Once I'm done with my thesis and everything, I'd like to adapt the pattern for a slightly thicker yarn and make them in the round, which I feel would solve a lot of the problems I'm having with the math.
But for now, I've still got 20 pages to write and at least 12 inches of knitting to do.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Bravo
I saw this article yesterday on Yahoo. As an artist, I strongly agree with the writer. I work, and I deserve to get paid a reasonable wage for it, but everyone seems to think that it's okay to pay people in "exposure." I need to eat, I've got bills to pay. Now stop being a cheapskate and fork over my fee.
Working For Free - Why You Shouldn't Expect Artists to do it.
Written by Dave D'Esposito of ArtMonkey Studios, Inc.
Originally posted on Craiglist, then everywhere else worth knowing on the internet.
Every day, there are more and more Craigs List posts seeking “artists” for everything from auto graphics to comic books to corporate logo designs. More people are finding themselves in need of some form of illustrative service.
But what they’re NOT doing, unfortunately, is realizing how rare someone with these particular talents can be.
To those who are “seeking artists”, let me ask you; How many people do you know, personally, with the talent and skill to perform the services you need? A dozen? Five? One? …none?
More than likely, you don’t know any. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be posting on craigslist to find them.
And this is not really a surprise.
In this country, there are almost twice as many neurosurgeons as there are professional illustrators. There are eleven times as many certified mechanics. There are SEVENTY times as many people in the IT field.
So, given that they are less rare, and therefore less in demand, would it make sense to ask your mechanic to work on your car for free? Would you look him in the eye, with a straight face, and tell him that his compensation would be the ability to have his work shown to others as you drive down the street?
Would you offer a neurosurgeon the “opportunity” to add your name to his resume as payment for removing that pesky tumor? (Maybe you could offer him “a few bucks” for “materials”. What a deal!)
Would you be able to seriously even CONSIDER offering your web hosting service the chance to have people see their work, by viewing your website, as their payment for hosting you?
If you answered “yes” to ANY of the above, you’re obviously insane. If you answered “no”, then kudos to you for living in the real world.
But then tell me… why would you think it is okay to live out the same, delusional, ridiculous fantasy when seeking someone whose abilities are even less in supply than these folks?
Graphic artists, illustrators, painters, etc., are skilled tradesmen. As such, to consider them as, or deal with them as, anything less than professionals fully deserving of your respect is both insulting and a bad reflection on you as a sane, reasonable person. In short, it makes you look like a twit.
A few things you need to know;
1. It is not a “great opportunity” for an artist to have his work seen on your car/’zine/website/bedroom wall, etc. It IS a “great opportunity” for YOU to have their work there.
2. It is not clever to seek a “student” or “beginner” in an attempt to get work for free. It’s ignorant and insulting. They may be “students”, but that does not mean they don’t deserve to be paid for their hard work. You were a “student” once, too. Would you have taken that job at McDonalds with no pay, because you were learning essential job skills for the real world? Yes, your proposition it JUST as stupid.
3. The chance to have their name on something that is going to be seen by other people, whether it’s one or one million, is NOT a valid enticement. Neither is the right to add that work to their x201Cortfolio”. They get to do those things ANYWAY, after being paid as they should. It’s not compensation. It’s their right, and it’s a given.
4. Stop thinking that you’re giving them some great chance to work. Once they skip over your silly ad, as they should, the next ad is usually for someone who lives in the real world, and as such, will pay them. There are far more jobs needing these skills than there are people who possess these skills.
5. Students DO need “experience”. But they do NOT need to get it by giving their work away. In fact, this does not even offer them the experience they need. Anyone who will not/can not pay them is obviously the type of person or business they should be ashamed to have on their resume anyway. Do you think professional contractors list the “experience” they got while nailing down a loose step at their grandmother’s house when they were seventeen?
If you your company or gig was worth listing as desired experience, it would be able to pay for the services it received. The only experience they will get doing free work for you is a lesson learned in what kinds of scrubs they should not lower themselves to deal with.
6. (This one is FOR the artists out there, please pay attention.) Some will ask you to “submit work for consideration”. They may even be posing as some sort of “contest”. These are almost always scams. They will take the work submitted by many artists seeking to win the “contest”, or be “chosen” for the gig, and find what they like most. They will then usually have someone who works for them, or someone who works incredibly cheap because they have no originality or talent of their own, reproduce that same work, or even just make slight modifications to it, and claim it as their own. You will NOT be paid, you will NOT win the contest. The only people who win, here, are the underhanded folks who run these ads. This is speculative, or “spec”, work. It’s risky at best, and a complete scam at worst. I urge you to avoid it, completely. For more information on this subject, please visit http://www.no-spec.com/.
So to artists/designers/illustrators looking for work, do everyone a favor, ESPECIALLY yourselves, and avoid people who do not intend to pay you. Whether they are “spec” gigs, or just some guy who wants a free mural on his living room walls. They need you. You do NOT need them.
And for those who are looking for someone to do work for free… please wake up and join the real world. The only thing you’re accomplishing is to insult those with the skills you need. Get a clue.
Working For Free - Why You Shouldn't Expect Artists to do it.
Written by Dave D'Esposito of ArtMonkey Studios, Inc.
Originally posted on Craiglist, then everywhere else worth knowing on the internet.
Every day, there are more and more Craigs List posts seeking “artists” for everything from auto graphics to comic books to corporate logo designs. More people are finding themselves in need of some form of illustrative service.
But what they’re NOT doing, unfortunately, is realizing how rare someone with these particular talents can be.
To those who are “seeking artists”, let me ask you; How many people do you know, personally, with the talent and skill to perform the services you need? A dozen? Five? One? …none?
More than likely, you don’t know any. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be posting on craigslist to find them.
And this is not really a surprise.
In this country, there are almost twice as many neurosurgeons as there are professional illustrators. There are eleven times as many certified mechanics. There are SEVENTY times as many people in the IT field.
So, given that they are less rare, and therefore less in demand, would it make sense to ask your mechanic to work on your car for free? Would you look him in the eye, with a straight face, and tell him that his compensation would be the ability to have his work shown to others as you drive down the street?
Would you offer a neurosurgeon the “opportunity” to add your name to his resume as payment for removing that pesky tumor? (Maybe you could offer him “a few bucks” for “materials”. What a deal!)
Would you be able to seriously even CONSIDER offering your web hosting service the chance to have people see their work, by viewing your website, as their payment for hosting you?
If you answered “yes” to ANY of the above, you’re obviously insane. If you answered “no”, then kudos to you for living in the real world.
But then tell me… why would you think it is okay to live out the same, delusional, ridiculous fantasy when seeking someone whose abilities are even less in supply than these folks?
Graphic artists, illustrators, painters, etc., are skilled tradesmen. As such, to consider them as, or deal with them as, anything less than professionals fully deserving of your respect is both insulting and a bad reflection on you as a sane, reasonable person. In short, it makes you look like a twit.
A few things you need to know;
1. It is not a “great opportunity” for an artist to have his work seen on your car/’zine/website/bedroom wall, etc. It IS a “great opportunity” for YOU to have their work there.
2. It is not clever to seek a “student” or “beginner” in an attempt to get work for free. It’s ignorant and insulting. They may be “students”, but that does not mean they don’t deserve to be paid for their hard work. You were a “student” once, too. Would you have taken that job at McDonalds with no pay, because you were learning essential job skills for the real world? Yes, your proposition it JUST as stupid.
3. The chance to have their name on something that is going to be seen by other people, whether it’s one or one million, is NOT a valid enticement. Neither is the right to add that work to their x201Cortfolio”. They get to do those things ANYWAY, after being paid as they should. It’s not compensation. It’s their right, and it’s a given.
4. Stop thinking that you’re giving them some great chance to work. Once they skip over your silly ad, as they should, the next ad is usually for someone who lives in the real world, and as such, will pay them. There are far more jobs needing these skills than there are people who possess these skills.
5. Students DO need “experience”. But they do NOT need to get it by giving their work away. In fact, this does not even offer them the experience they need. Anyone who will not/can not pay them is obviously the type of person or business they should be ashamed to have on their resume anyway. Do you think professional contractors list the “experience” they got while nailing down a loose step at their grandmother’s house when they were seventeen?
If you your company or gig was worth listing as desired experience, it would be able to pay for the services it received. The only experience they will get doing free work for you is a lesson learned in what kinds of scrubs they should not lower themselves to deal with.
6. (This one is FOR the artists out there, please pay attention.) Some will ask you to “submit work for consideration”. They may even be posing as some sort of “contest”. These are almost always scams. They will take the work submitted by many artists seeking to win the “contest”, or be “chosen” for the gig, and find what they like most. They will then usually have someone who works for them, or someone who works incredibly cheap because they have no originality or talent of their own, reproduce that same work, or even just make slight modifications to it, and claim it as their own. You will NOT be paid, you will NOT win the contest. The only people who win, here, are the underhanded folks who run these ads. This is speculative, or “spec”, work. It’s risky at best, and a complete scam at worst. I urge you to avoid it, completely. For more information on this subject, please visit http://www.no-spec.com/.
So to artists/designers/illustrators looking for work, do everyone a favor, ESPECIALLY yourselves, and avoid people who do not intend to pay you. Whether they are “spec” gigs, or just some guy who wants a free mural on his living room walls. They need you. You do NOT need them.
And for those who are looking for someone to do work for free… please wake up and join the real world. The only thing you’re accomplishing is to insult those with the skills you need. Get a clue.
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