Tar Valon Crafters Unite!
Author: Nymala Ingasy
The pleasure of meeting and speaking to someone who is a fellow crafter of the fiber arts never gets old to me. Whether it's walking into a yarn store and hearing the familiar clicking of needles or meeting with friends to sit in a knitters' and crafters' circle, that shared enthusiasm never goes away. It's the instant friendship and familiarity of meeting someone who has the same passions as yourself. This month, I got that feeling when I had the opportunity to speak to Polegnyn Nemeara of Team Ta'veren. I hadn't heard of the group, so I set aside the time to find out what it was. She and her team of crafters have some opportunities for those of us on Tar Valon who craft.
Nymala Ingasy: Please tell me about Team Ta’veren and what it does.
Polegnyn Nemeara: Team Ta’veren is a fiber arts and crafting team participating in the Nerdopolis crafting tournament at Ravelry.com. While based in an independent Knitters of the Wheel group, Team Ta’veren represents The Wheel of Time fandom among other fandom-based Nerdopolis teams such as Team Tardis (Dr. Who fandom), Team Precious (Tolkien’s world), or teams with broader scopes such as Team Shady Cells (anything related to comic books or anime) or Team Space Alliance (anything related to science fiction). As one can tell from those examples, scopes may overlap a little, but that gives people a lot of room to stretch if they are unable to decide on a single fandom.
The name for Team Ta’veren was inspired by the Rand, Mat, and Perrin. These three, as every Wheel of Time fan knows, are considered ta’veren of considerable strength. As team captain, I currently use an avatar with the title “Amyrlin”. However, in reality, the team is structured more like The Kin of Ebou Dar. We do not have ranks among our team. The only purpose in my use of the title “Amyrlin” is to provide a WoT-inspired term to signify “leadership” and draw the attention of fellow Wheel of Time enthusiasts from the main Ravelry.com community.
In addition to representing The Wheel of Time in Nerdopolis, Team Ta’veren also hosts intramural “quests” based on the series. One can earn badges by creating items based on your favorite moment in each book, something inspired by each thread of the One Power or Ajah, something inspired by the different factions throughout Randland, and various other ways that add Wheel of Time-inspired flair to personal projects.
NI: What types of crafters do you have on your team?
PN: Team Ta’veren is made up all types of crafters. We have knitters, crocheters, weavers, and spinners who also make buttons, pottery, books, bake, and sew while away from Ravelry. Nerdopolis provides a non-fiber related theme along with five other fiber related challenges. This challenge attracts a lot of non-fiber related hobbies such as illustration, pottery, leatherwork, cooking/baking, and even building robots. Basically, if it’s a tangible item then it will work for at least one Nerdopolis theme! Each team has a wide-range of overlapping talents and skills, and Nerdopolis does its best to encourage those interests while remaining focused on the fiber-related crafts Ravelry.com is structured around.
NI: What is Nerdopolis?
PN: Nerdopolis is a group of self-described nerds and geeks located within the Ravelry.com community. We particularly enjoy relating our creations to our favorite fandoms or less mainstream interests.
The Nerdopolis competition itself occurs three times a year and spans three-month periods (February through April, June through August, and November through December). Each month has seven unique themes as suggested and voted upon by Nerdopolis participants. Projects for any of theme are to be completed by each team member within that month in order to earn a star (or point) for your team. A single person can earn a single star or up to five stars for their team as determined by their desired level of participation or crafting preference. The team with the most stars wins a shiny badge for their group page or member’s individual profile pages. Projects requiring more than a month have their own category called “Summit Seekers”. These projects can earn a star for any progress within the month.
The rules for Nerdopolis above can be fairly overwhelming to beginners so I’ll also provide an example. One theme from July was “Farmers’ Market”. Participants crafted projects inspired by farmers’ markets or items found at farmers’ markets. Not all projects resembled stands, fruit, or vegetables. Projects also related to the theme through color, structure, or pattern.
So where do the our fandoms come into play? We don’t stop at joining fandom-based teams for simple theme completion. Nerdopolis participants go one step further to relate projects to our team’s fandom which is referred to as “Nerd Cred”. One of Team Ta’veren’s members submitted a Mario Brothers-inspired piranha plant amigurumi for the Farmers’ Market theme. While seemingly unrelated to Wheel of Time, the team member referenced Nynaeve’s (and other village healers) use of herbs and other potted plants for remedies to common ailments. Or, if she were a member of Team Precious, she might have referenced Tauriel’s use of the Kingsfoil herb in the movie to aid in healing Kili during their journey through Laketown. Nerd Cred is also tracked and participants are entered to win various prizes through a random number generated drawing at the end of each three-month tournament.
NI: How can the crafters of Tar Valon help Team Ta’veren?
PN: Team Ta’veren is extending an invitation to those at TarValon.net to join Team Ta’veren (or Nerdopolis in general) as we provide another outlet for crafting Wheel of Time fans. We don’t want to remove their contributions from TarValon.Net, but maybe something beneficial could be worked out for both parties as in the books. Otherwise, it is safe to say we would simply love to connect with other Wheel of Time fans through the fiber arts, as well as to help support The Wheel of Time community as a whole in the best way possible.
NI: Do you do Servant of All-type projects?
PN: Yes, Team Tavern participates in charitable projects within and outside of Nerdopolis on an individual basis. At least one monthly Nerdopolis theme is devoted to charitable acts whether it be monetary or physical donations. We are still able to apply Wheel of Time-related Nerd Cred to these donations when we post our submission in the relevant Nerdopolis category. Even during the Nerdopolis breaks, members continue to make such donations thanks to the resources fellow Nerdopolites post about throughout the tournaments. Personally speaking, I never knew about Charity Miles until a fellow Nerdopolite posted she was making her donation through them. I started using the service even during our break months because of her experience.
Having said that, Team Ta’veren has yet to make a charitable contribution as a team. We’re only in our second-ever Nerdopolis tournament. Team Ta’veren’s founding members are still getting to know one another, but some day we can organize meetups and participate in a charity during said meetup. It would certainly abide by the “Servant of All” ethic Robert Jordan envisioned for the Aes Sedai.
NI: What more would you like us to know about you?
PN: While Nerdopolis is a competition, everyone is extremely relaxed, encouraging, and tolerant. Each participant agrees to abide by Wheaton’s Law before registering for each new Nerdopolis tournament. Everyone jumps in to help even if a person on another team is struggling with motivation or Nerd Cred. And sure, while you end up knowing your teammates best, overall it’s a very positive and supportive group that focuses more on setting and reaching goals rather than attaining stars at all costs.
In speaking to Polegnyn, I not only saw a fellow crafter and Wheel of Time enthusiast, but also someone who is actively trying to bring the Servant of All philosophy into our world. If you are a crafter of any type and would like more information on the Team Ta'veren, please search for them on Ravelry under the main group of Nerdopolis, and then search for The Knitters of the Wheel. Thank you to Polegnyn and Team Ta'Veren for their time!<br
