Hi, I am Mathilde! I am the director of Citémômes, the association that conceives and realizes projects for children and families. This knitting project arose from the relationship I have with my grandmother. She gives knitting workshops at our association. At the beginning, there were a few people coming.

And one day, we covered a fountain with the knitted squares, and then we just saw numerous smiles appeared, and especially a big one on my grandmother’s face! She had finally found a new place in society! Therefore, the adventure continued ! We covered cars, trees, statues… And had a lot of fun with our knitted installations.

But one day, another one, I made a joke…the kind of joke that was going to change my life! During a meeting with the festival ‘Normandie Impressioniste’, just at the end of the meeting, just before everybody was about to leave, I said: ” we have just initiated a knitting project, maybe we could also make a knitted portrait, as portrait is the matter of this year’s festival ” And… laughter. But it was made, quickly the idea was stuck in my head  and I must admit as I am a bit stubborn and I love challenges… Therefore,  I immediately get to work on the idea, and above all I started dreaming about it…

All the members of my family were very supportive and they were embarked on the adventure. Everybody participated in their own way: knitting, encouragement, distribution… And my friends, and a lot of people whom I did not even know, came to participate from Normandy and all over the country.

At the beginning, people thought I was completely crazy! But madness moves mountains! Partners joined the project. I crossed all Normandy to distribute boxes to collect the knitted squares and also to meet operators in textile industry, those of  yesterday and those of  nowadays … And I just loved it so much!!! I discovered my region and I was even more proud! I love Normandy!

I take advantage of this opportunity to thank all the people that I have met for their smile and the energy they passed on to me in this mad race and the biggest thanks to my great dream team…

And also Myrtille, Emilie, Nadine, Marie Bernadette, Micheline, Pierrette, Véronique, Blandine, Claudie, Nicolas, Manou, Sophie, Sonia, Perrine… And all the knitters and knitting machines, pompom makers…
Because it’s good to dream…