Hi everyone! It’s Cindy here. Since I last posted about my crochet work I had been working on another afghan which was the Scheepjes CAL 2020: d’Histoire Naturelle by Christina Hadderingh from the blog A Spoonful of Yarn. When this CAL was run (starting September 2020) I was working on another project so I didn’t participate while it was running but I kept up with what was happening by following the OFFICIAL Scheepjes – International Group on Facebook. Christina was inspired to create this afghan after reading the book All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr which I listened to the audio book version of a few years ago when it first came out.
Christina explains how the book was her inspiration:
“In the story we follow Marie-Laure and her father who is a locksmith at the National Natural History Museum at Paris. Anthony Doerr paints such a vivid picture of the Museum and its contents that I had to design a blanket around it. As you crochet the blanket, Scheepjes and I will take you through all the main Museum gardens and galleries: the Jardin des Plantes, the Galerie d’Entomologie, the Galerie de Botanique, the Galerie de Minéralogie, the Grande Galerie de l’evolution and the Galerie de Paleontologie.”
There were four colorways created for this CAL and two different yarn types to choose from making a total of 8 kits you could choose from if you wanted to use the colors Christina picked out. I chose the Entomology colorway in Scheepjes Stone Washed/River Washed yarn. In addition to running the CAL Christina also had a read along portion. She also recorded an interview with the author to discuss the sections of the book the group was reading. You can see all the interviews on the Scheepjes YouTube page.
Now I would like to take you through the CAL showing you how the 6 parts came together. I will mostly let Christina’s words explain the work and encourage you to click on the links to each “chapter”, as she calls them, to see some pictures of the actual museum and its collections.
Chapter1: Jardin des Plantes
We begin our journey outside, in the Jardin des Plantes, which is the museum botanical garden…Can you envision the grand hedges that cast their shadow upon the botanical gardens with more than 10,000 named plant species?
In this part you will find floral stitch patterns, inspired by botany, as well as round hedges in the corners, inspired by the grand hedges of the garden.
Chapter 1: Jardin des Plantes
Chapter 2: Galerie d’Entomologie
In real life, the Galerie d’ Entomologie is sadly no longer open for public. It closed for renovation in 1996, but due to lack of funding it remained closed ever since. However, from 1960 to 1996 it housed more than half of the worlds total biodiversity regarding insects, such as beetles, butterflies and bees. Envision cabinet after cabinet full of drawers with insects from all over the world, their iridescent wings and mind blowing colors
The square of the blanket will be turned into an octagonal shape, using four precious bees. After that the shape will be expanded, using eight gorgeous butterflies, encased in a flower with eight petals, which is created by using front post stitches.
Chapter 2: Galerie d’Entomologie
Close up of bee (bottom center) and butterflies
(You can click on the images to see larger views of them)
Chapter 3: Galerie de Botanique
The Galerie de Botanique is situated in the Jardin des Plantes and contains the largest and oldest Herbarium in the world, with eight milion specimens. Envision beautiful scientific drawings of flowers and herbs, humid greenhouses full of exotic plants, of which Marie-Laure thought it smells like humus, wet newspaper and lobelia and rows and rows of cabinets full of ancient seed and plant specimens.
After the big octagonal shape, we will gradually turn it into a circle, which ends in a big border full of gorgeous leaves. The stitches are inspired by orchids and leaves shown on herbarium sheets or scientific drawings of flowers and plants.
Chapter 3: Galerie de Botanique
Leaf detail
(You can click on the images to see larger views of them)
Chapter 4: Galerie de Minéralogie et Géologie
Minerals play a big part in the story of All the Light We Cannot See, as we read about the curse of the infamous Sea of Flames, the gorgeous descriptions of the Galerie and as we follow major Von Rumpel on his hunt for precious gemstones and crystals. The galerie is situated in the Jardin des Plantes and contains a dazzling 770 thousand specimens. Try to keep your eyes from wandering
In part 4 we will start to turn the big circle into a square shape, using four corner shapes. The corner shapes are made with separate motifs, inspired by geodes, agate and quartz, encased in lace. After the corner shapes are attached to the blanket, Sea of Flames diamonds are made in between the corner shapes to finish the part.
Corner shape
Chapter 4 – Galerie de Minéralogie et Géologie
(You can click on the images to see larger views of them)
Chapter 5: Grande Galerie l’Evolution
The Grande Galerie is very impressive to wander around in with more than 7000 lifelike species. Although it is only mentioned once in the book, All The Light We Cannot See, I thought it very inspirational and I wanted it to be a part of the blanket. The crochet stitches are inspired by the procession of giant mammals in the main hall, such as elephants, giraffes and rhinos and also inspired by the open space staircases and walkways along the walls of the Galerie.
In part 5 the square shape is finalized by working two elephants on each side of the blanket in between the corner shapes, which are inspired by the great procession displayed at the Galerie. After that a big border is made, inspired by the architecture and balustrades along the Galerie walls.
Chapter 5: Grande Galerie l’Evolution
Corner detail
Elephant detail
Elephant detail – can you see the ears?
(You can click on the images to see larger views of them)
One thing I want to note is that in the original pattern it does not include ears on the elephants. This is one thing I picked up from following the Facebook group and decided to add them to my afghan. I also want to note that the designer was happy to have this added to her pattern.
Chapter 6: Galerie de Paleontologie
We will end our journey in the Galerie de Paleontologie. It contains an impressive collection of fossil vertebrates like dinosaurs and other extinct animals, but also invertebrates like shellfish. Shells play quite a big part in Marie-Laure’s story as she loves to touch and collect them.
Part 6, the final part, is made using two borders. One is inspired by the shells Marie-Laure collects and the role the ocean plays in the story. The shells are made using front post stitches and are made in front of the rest of the crochet work. The second and final border is inspired by bones of animal skeletons.
Chapter 6: Galerie de Paleontologie
Shell and bones borders
Corner detail
(You can click on the images to see larger views of them)
I really enjoyed working on this blanket and thank Christina and Scheepjes for hosting the CAL. The afghan now resides in our living room next to the Fruit Garden afghan.
The Entomology colorway goes well with the painting above the couch
Fruit Garden and d’Histoire Naturelle Afghans
(You can click on the images to see larger views of them)
I’m joining the The Loop Scoop Yarny Link Party (formerly know as Hookin on Hump Day). You should stop by to see some of the other projects people have posted.
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