Knittin' Crap: Starfleet February 2015

We spent February at the Academy with all those young, perky, eager cadets.

Mission	Report
Command - Demonstrate ways to overcome a crafting “no-win” scenario to your cadets by planning and swatching for a project.	Although I had carefully considered details for my Away Mission for this tour before the tour actually began, my other duties kept me from confirming its viability through proof-of-concept work with the raw materials until after the start of the tour. My first sample came out at the perfect specifications (25x36 st on US4), but I was not sure I liked the lack of density, so I made another sample to smaller specifications (on US3), and ended up calculating that the original sample was superior. But, the extra time was not wasted, as I now had evidence that I could move forward with additional certainty that my mission would ultimately be a success. Swatches (tested for sleep-worthiness by my invasive quadrupeds and marked as approved):
Diplomatic - Show your cadets the importance of details by creating something involving detail work or embellishments	Without detailed facial expressions, this very undiplomatic penguin would look like an unexpressive round ball on top of a tube. And he certainly wouldn’t be able to express his indignation at being shoved aside by the giant, undiplomatic invasive quadruped:
Medical - One of the hardest lessons to accept is that you can’t save them all, and sometimes the only thing you can do is give comfort. Your Mission: Teach your cadets how to cope with these situations by creating something comforting, either for yourself or for someone else. Bonus points for charitable submissions.	Many cultures on Old Earth long had a tradition of brightening the environment of the ill with the often colorful and pleasantly scented reproductive organs of certain plants. Plants of the genus Tulipa were especially prized for their elegant beauty. I have replicated some and put them on a bunting for wall decoration.
Tactical - Teach your cadets the value of thinking quickly by making something very speedy (something that takes a day or less).	Any Starfleet cadet who has taken the Anomalous Quantum Particles course final exam will already know that concentrating on details while under time pressure is particularly difficult. To practice mental focus while simultaneously watching the clock, I manualy fabricated this special neck gear, which also acts as a sensor to monitor heart rate and blood pressure in tense situations. Keeping track of many small components, manipulating them without the aid of nano-tools, and completing an important piece of equipment are all skills that may be needed during an emergency when the replicators are not available either because of mechanical failure or on an away team mission.
The Brig - Finish off UFOs.	This prisoner hit its rehabilitation target 3 weeks ago, but I had more important things to do than process the paperwork. (Like, take naps.)

Badtz-Maru pattern by Mei Li Lee
Bull's-Eye pattern by Jennifer Hansen
Necklace designed by Un-Roen Manarata

Knittin' Crap: SFAC February 2014

Mission	Report
Diplomatic - Craft something to represent who - or what - you might meet on the Shore Leave Planet. (Feel free to cross fandom lines for this mission)	While I knew about the Shore Leave Planet’s unusual offerings, I’m afraid I let my mind wander a bit while I was transporting down, and the planet picked up on that. I had just been perusing some late 20th century literature in that highest of art forms, the “comic book,” namely “The Tick,” which was based on the true story of a crime-fighter who dressed as a blue arachnid species which appears to now be extinct. Next thing I know I was staring eye-to-eye with his occasional crime-fighting partner, the Man-Eating Cow. She looked a little displeased. We did manage to have a pleasant conversation. Me: Nice weather here. Man-Eating Cow: Moo. Me: You been here before? Man-Eating Cow: Moo. Me: Had to eat any evil-doers lately? Man-Eating Cow: Moo.
Medical - Craft something to help you tell your ship’s doctor about something you did on shore leave.	That all-you-can-eat sushi bar seemed like a good idea at the time, you see, until I realized I can eat quite a lot of sushi. Here was the first course:
Science - Craft something to show what is unique or unusual about the planet you’ve chosen for your shore leave.	Having pored over the ships logs of the NCC-1701, I thought I’d take this opportunity to visit the site of one of its classic missions: Gamma Trianguli VI. This is the tropical planet whose inhabitants had been trapped in a state of arrested development by their “god,” a seemingly-omnipotent computer named Vaal. Captain Kirk valiantly freed them from the computer’s tyranny so they could evolve as a civilization. The civilization they evolved into is a free-wheeling tropical gambling mecca centered around their new god: money. But they may continue to change as time goes on. After all, one of Earth’s greatest centers of learning and culture was founded on casino money, but who doesn’t visit Earth without stopping at the wonderful galleries and theaters of Las Vegas? Back to Gamma Trianguli VI, though. The flowers there, while beautiful, can also be deadly if not handled properly, as several members of Kirk’s original away team learned. Here is one such flower:
The Brig - Another WIP finally gets finished!	This prisoner was recruited to complete a mission the last tour, but it stopped halfway through and gave me the finger. I gave it a good attitude adjustment and now want to see it out the door.

Original (non-man-eating) cow pattern by Izumi Sasaki
Miso pattern by Mitsuki Hoshi
Phalangees pattern by Jodie Gordon Lucas

Knittin' Crap: SFAC January 2014

January is an off-month, but there were still a couple things to do.

Mission	Report
Shuttle - Craft something to lift the spirits of your crew mates by making them laugh. Craft something silly. Please feel free to include silliness in your mission story as well.	I’d heard rumors that produce was missing from the ship’s vegetable garden, but as I have a brown thumb and hadn’t touched anything, I paid no attention. Then, walking through the garden today, I spotted something… out of the ordinary: Rabbits have acquired stealth technology. No carrot is safe!
Brig	Until the start of this staryear, this prisoner had no direction, wandering this way and that through life. I smoothed out the rough edges and now its perambulations make it an interesting but useful character.

Bunny pattern by Abbygurumi
Vest pattern by Hitomi Shida

Knittin' Crap: SFAC December 2013

Still fighting off the Borg this month!

Mission	Report
Command - Learn a new technique, try a new pattern, or use new information in some way to isolate, imprison or destroy the Borg Queen.	As the Borg mastery of technology outstrips our own and means we risk having our own technology turned against us, I decided we should go lower-tech. Using the genetic engineering lab, I modified a flying squirrel to allow it to be trained and coordinated for group attacks. Sending hundreds of these furry creatures zooming at the Borg queen will no doubt overwhelm her so the humanoids can rush in and take her down. I also added bioluminescent genes to the white fur, just because.
Engineering - Conduct your own down-and-dirty repair: Make something that takes less than a day’s work (8 hours), or fewer than 200 meters of yarn.	This small, finger-controlled robot can get into tight places for fine repairs. Unfortunately, he’s a bit of a daredevil, and while he made crucial repairs, he sustained his own injuries.
Medical - Create a hat or other headwear to help shield your mind, and cover implant removal scars.	This fastener can be used to deftly hold remaining hair in place to conceal healing or balded areas. The floral decoration serves as a further distraction from the reason such concealment is necessary.
Science - Replicate hull plates, or any of the component parts of the hull which might need to be replaced - in the form of flat things or things crafted in parts or multiples.	This piece of 4 times the thickness of normal fabrication methods would work well for a repair where extra strength is needed.
Tactical - Craft something in the bright colors of the explosion.	I managed to capture a very good holo-image of the explosion of the Borg Cube. And, even though it seems to go against the laws of physics, the explosion was also square-shaped. I will have to do additional calculations to try to figure that one out.
The Brig - Finish a UFO (note: this is actually my Brig report from November, but I forgot to put it in that post, and I didn't finish any UFOs in December anyway)	This prisoner was found colluding with the pictured invasive quadrupeds on a plot to take over early-21st century Earth. After four years in the Brig, it has finally given up the plot, especially after realizing the quadrupeds’ attention span was too short to take over much of anything other than a warm lap for more than 10 minutes.

Flying Squirrel pattern by Izumi Sasaki
Flower and crochet edging from Japanese book Best Crochet Motif Pattern 238
Totoro chart by brella
World Afghan pattern by Kay Niederlitz

Knittin' Crap: SFAC May Shore Leave

May is a shore leave month in the Starfleet Fiber Arts Corps, but we still had a shuttle mission, plus afghan blocks and a brig release.

Mission	Report
Shuttle: Something about voting on ownership of a disputed ice planet claimed by both the Romulans and the Klingons Your mission: • Option A: Craft something in Blood wine red to show your support for the Klingon claim to Poosh. • Option B: Craft something in Romulan ale blue to show your support for the Romulan claim to Poosh.	Purely out of curiosity to see for what use they need a frozen moon (if betting weren’t against Starfleet regulations, my credits would be on ice hockey training so they can sweep the next Interstellar Games), I vote for the Romulans. My vote takes the highly appropriate form of an Earth peacock, as they are a symbol of pride, and the Romulans are a proud race, indeed.
Afghan Challenge Planet of the Month: Qo’noS, the Klingon homeworld.	These squares either represent Kang’s Summit or the pointy end of a bat’leth, both of which a tourist on Qo’noS may encounter.
The Brig - the place where unfinished projects languish in shame	This prisoner promised to deliver a personal force field 2 whole tours ago and failed miserably, causing some damage to engineering. It has since cleaned up the damage and adopted Starfleet safety protocols. Requesting release back to regular duty. Excuse me, some crew members have no manners…. There.

Peacock pattern by Yasuko Ando
Original vest pattern by DROPS Designs

Knittin' Crap: SFAC March 2013 Tour

This compendium of March mission reports is late because a temporal rift ate my Command Mission at the end of last month and only just spit it out (conveniently completed) now.

Mission	Report
Command: Make something inspired by a great leader from Earth or Vulcan History. Alternatively, represent a major conflict or event shaping that history.	The Sontag was a specialized shawl that crosses over the chest and fastens in back, with additional front ties. It was worn by both men and women in the United States during the mid 19th century, including the tumultuous time known as the American Civil War. I can just picture soldiers on the battlefield trying to keep warm, or worried women back home, keeping up with chores and waiting for news of their male family members.
Diplomatic: Make something representing or inspired by a particular ‘great’ literary work or character.	While various sources for the ancient Greek mythologies of their gods and heroes were in existence, they were generally too racy for genteel Victorian audiences. Thomas Bulfinch’s literary collection The Age of Fable brought the stories into the popular imagination of the era. One of the most intriguing characters from these stories is Medusa:
Engineering: Craft something inspired by a specific painting or sculpture	Earth art historians have a slight mystery on their hands. In both excavations and even in current populations to this day, they have found various reproductions of a specific piece of small statuary, but do not know the source of the original. It does not seem to be a religious icon, as it seems to be found most often in businesses and homes, but not in places of worship. While the styles and colors may vary, the statue itself is of a domestic feline, sitting on its rear, waving or beckoning with one raised paw, and often holding an object, usually a coin or purse, in the other forepaw. The reproductions are found most often in East Asia, although they are also common in what seem to be enclaves of immigrant populations throughout Earth. Still, for such a secular work to have such widespread popularity, the original must have been a great work of art indeed. Here is one such reproduction:
Medical: Whether your own preference runs to Mozart or Metal, make something representing or inspired by a particular composer or piece of music from either Vulcan or Earth.	While the composer held rather contemptible beliefs, the opera cycle Ring of the Impossibly-Long-German-Word is still a classic. It features powerful women called Valkyries: I personally prefer a particular English translation to the original German. It goes something like this: “Oh, Bwunhilde, you’we so wuvwy.” “Yes, I know it. I can’t help it.” “Oh, Bwunhilde, be-ee my wuv!”
Shuttle: Using all of the information you’ve gathered whilst studying the cultures of Vulcan and Earth, create an appropriate gift for either T’Pa’shu or her mate.	On the Old Earth Chinese lunar cycle, this would be the Year of the Snake! Perhaps on Vulcan, they lack the cultural and “reptile brain” prejudices against those creatures, so I brought one to see our guests’ reaction:
Tactical: Create something based on your impressions of the planet Vulcan - its architecture, cities, topography, or other distinctive feature of the environment	I had the luck to see a Vulcan sunset during one of their sand fire storms (from a safe distance of course). Quite breathtaking! Here is my abstract representation of the effect:
Afghan Challenge: Romulus	I am struck by how regimented and stratified Romulan society is, as represented by these blocks:
The Brig	This prisoner has had split personality issues and had also been seen colluding with the quadrupedal invasive species that has taken up residence in my quarters: However, the prisoner, of late, seems to have reconciled its dual nature and is ready to leave the brig.

Sontag pattern circa 1860
Medusa pattern by Needlenoodles
Maneki Spoono pattern adapted from Hiroko Takeda
Valkyrie pattern by Needlenoodles
10-stitch Wave by Frankie Brown
Snake charm pattern by Ikuko Saito
Double-knit scarf pattern by Kotomi Hayashi

Knittin' Crap: Starfleet Tour February 2013

Division	Report
Command: Craft something to represent that ‘one thing’ on the Bridge that captures your attention.	While on the bridge, I enjoy playing with the spectral visualization settings of the displays. If subatomic particles or various wave types are mapped to the visible light spectrum, we can see striking effects normally invisible to our eyes. This is what a warp field looks like when mapped to the visible spectrum and being attacked by a giant space cat:
Diplomatic: Make something for your own quarters or those of another to make the space seem more like home.	I heard a Betazed delegate remark on the quadrupeds which have invaded the Kitchener, and how they resembled Betazoid cats which the delegate had had to leave at home, so I supplied her with one of the invaders:
Engineering: Make a toy, game, or other object to be used in (or to represent) your shipboard hobby - whatever that might be.	My hobby is to go around like a fairy godmother and grant people’s wishes. And to make “pew pew pew!” sounds.
Medical: Make our visitors feel comfortable seeking medical treatment by crafting something that represents the men and women of the ship’s Medical Facilities.	One of the most revered and storied past members of the Starfleet Medical Corps is, of course, Dr Leonard “Bones” McCoy. Here is my homage to Captain Kirk’s longtime friend and ship’s doctor:
Science: Craft something to represent one of the labs or the work done there.	During my rotation through the stellar cartography lab, I actually managed to discover a new kind of star, the micro-mini blue-green dwarf star! The micro-mini blue-green dwarf star has several peculiar properties, including being endothermic and chemically/radiologically inert. It is also cute and snuggly.
Shuttle: Show Ship Pride: Using your finest fiber art skills, make something to represent the ship you serve on.	I came back from an away mission and found the Kitchener decks covered with water puddles. I’ll just mop some up with this here towel and not ask questions…
Afghan Challenge - February: Gamma Trianguli VI - Galactic Garden of Eden An idyllic planet with a tropical climate, its atmosphere has no harmful bacteria and completely screens out any negative effects from the sun. The humanoid inhabitants of this planet worshipped a sophisticated computer they called Vaal, which provided for the people by controlling the planet’s weather. Since the destruction of the device, they have resumed a more normal society. The people remain open and unquestioning toward visitors; Starfleet personnel are reminded that the Prime Directive is in full force.	These blocks are a symbolic representation of the change in the direction of the lives of the Gamma Triangulons after Captain Kirk totally violated the Prime Directive for the umpteenth time set them on a path of social evolution. Please excuse the interloper. Several of us on the Kitchener have been affected by an infestation of small quadrupeds. While they seem basically harmless, they tend to be an occasional hindrance to our duties. This one has, yes, grabbed the block on the left to… play? help? destroy?

Original cat pattern by Mitsuki Hoshi
Garland pattern from Japanese book Lace Crochet Best Pattern
Star pattern by Karolina Eckerdal
Illusion Duck pattern by Amy-lynne Mitchell

Knittin' Crap: October Missions

We finally managed to escape from that bothersome planet we were stranded on during the last Starfleet Fiber Arts Corp tour of duty. For this tour, the Command and Tactical division missions span all 3 months of the tour, while the other 4 divisions have monthly missions. In other news, I was promoted to Lt. Commander at the end of the last tour.

Division	My report
Diplomatic: Follow Commander Sisko’s orders and craft something that shows your support or appreciation of the Klingons. Craft a cozy for their bloodwine, craft a sheath for their bat’leths or craft a favorite Klingon dish. Remember that Klingons are a warrior race; be bold and adventurous with this mission.	I have constructed this device to aid in the making of gagh jerky. I know most Klingons love their gagh live, but that just isn’t practical for long missions, so jerky it will have to be.
Engineering: Help Chief O’Brien upgrade the warp drives of our ship. “Upgrade” a simple pattern by adding a cable, colorwork, lace, or a decorative edging, “upgrade” your skills by trying a new knitting or crochet technique, “upgrade” your library by knitting a newly published pattern (one published in the last 6 months) or “upgrade” your tools crafting something with a new kind of needles or hook.	To aid in re-wiring the engines, I decided it would be easier to pre-wire the cabling, allowing us to lay the cabled mat in place and simply hook up the ends at the appropriate junctions. The mat is color-coded for ease of identifying which input goes where.
Medical: Craft something to help you reconnect with yourself and the world around you. Craft something you missed while stranded, something that makes you feel more connected to the world around you, or something that represents something or someone you love.	I may have had my holo-kitties with me during our time stranded, but I did not have much quality time to spend with them. In honor of our renewed snuggle time, I made a mini-Spoon:
Science: Analyze the samples that you collected. Craft something representing plant life, rock formations, or soil composition of the planet where we were stranded. For example, craft something that uses a botanical or geological pattern or craft a fossil.	We had the misfortune to stumble across this odd creature. While it seems vegetative, it is also mobile (on four feet, although it seems to have no actual legs) and seems to have an intelligence of sorts. However, what makes it truly dangerous is that once it gets close enough to a humanoid, it will explode, taking the surrounding terrain with it and causing potentially severe injury. We only managed to capture this individual kamikaze bush by creating a stasis field.

Knittin' Crap: Starfleet, Month III

This month, Starfleet Fiber Arts Corps has been tangling with those nasty Romulans!

Division and Mission Requirements	My report
Engineering: The hits we’ve taken from the Romulan Warbird have severely drained our dilithium crystals. Craft something with beading.	This mechano-bird is studded with crystals to help fly and maneuver around the live dilithium crystals safely. In addition, it has a storage compartment which allows it to carry additional replacements.
Medical: We took a bit of a hit when the Romulan Warbird snuck up on us. Doctors and nurses need all the help they can get in running triage and taking care of the injured – especially head injuries. Make something to combat possible concussions. Perhaps something to keep people awake since you’re not supposed to fall asleep, etc.	By affixing this rubber chicken to the head of a concussed patient, it will ensure that, should the patient start to fall asleep, their head will bounce safely off a surface, with the chicken absorbing the impact, and the patient will be knocked into an upright position and woken up in the process.
Command: It is important to always be up to date and on top of things that are happening on your ship. The latest news, technology, and current events are essential to effectively running a ship and it is your responsibility to take charge to keeping up with these items. Take charge of your knitting and knit something using an advanced technique (cables, lace, beads, short rows, entrelac, modular, intarsia, fair isle, tapestry, mitered, the list goes on and on).	For this month’s Command mission, I made a sampler to experiment with using beads in Tunisian crochet. Combining these two technologies could allow us to find more optimal configurations of dilithium crystals for our warp engines.
Diplomatic: Craft something to encourage a diplomatic resolution to this confrontation by making something a Romulan might see as a peace offering.	This cat purse will remind the Romulans of two important facts: they can profit greatly from peaceful trading with the Federation, and that we have cats. And everyone wants cats.
Tactical: Craft something that will help get us out of this mess if things turn ugly.	Here are some Red Shirt clones to act as decoys and draw fire if we get in a big mess and need to make a quick escape:
Science: The Romulan Warbird managed to make it across the Neutral Zone without being detected. It has some sort of field preventing our attacks from being effective. Mission: Craft something to disable whatever this mechanism is so we are able to detect the ship and fire if needed.	Starfleet xenobiologists have discovered a large feline creature which has a number of unique characteristics. Firstly, it seems to live slightly out-of-phase with our dimension. Secondly, it can not only detect cloaked Romulan warbirds, it thinks they are great fun and loves to stalk them. Because of the phase difference, it cannot interact with them physically (nor can the warbirds harm the cat), but when the space cat is stalking a warbird, its tail starts to twitch, which generates a specific form of radiation. Starfleet engineers are working on a device which can not only detect this radiation but also use its frequency and wavelengths to pinpoint the position and orientation of the cat, and extrapolate the warbird’s position based on optimal space-cat stalking position. Plus it’s darned cute.
From The Brig (for completed UFOs* or for projects started and finished in the same month but not submitted for other missions)	Lt Jr Grade Fuzzykaren of the USS Kitchener requesting release from the brig for this Chinese hopping vampire. He only entered the brig this month, but he’s promised not to try to gnaw on anyone if we let him out.

Yes, that's right, I got promoted to Lieutenant, Junior Grade, at the beginning of the month!

Fortunately, May is a rest month. UFOs have been piling up, so I'm hoping to clear at least a couple out.

Bird Sachet pattern from Japanese Amigurumi Lucky Charm book
Rubber Chicken pattern by Cassidy Clark
Space Cat pattern from Japanese Amigurumi Collection #2
Cat Gamaguchi Purse pattern from Japanese Komono & Amigurumi

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^*UnFinished Objects