Meuse. With the "I Wool Madly" project, the town of Bar-le-Duc is weaving together a wonderful program of actions.

Between Bar-le-Duc and Bergère de France, there is of course a close relationship that has always been held by a thread. A thread of wool! The town could only be delighted that the history of the spinning mill could continue with the takeover by employees in the form of a SCOP (Cooperative and Participative Society). It is, as Martine Joly, mayor of the town, "to demonstrate not only our pride in having this jewel in our region, but also our desire to see them succeed" that the "I Wool Crazy" project was conceived.

"We will do everything we can to strengthen this enterprise, to support this wonderful adventure, and this is part of it," assures the elected official from Baris. "We looked with Nathalie Platini (deputy for social action, social development and solidarity) at how we could showcase Bergère de France and its wool. We came up with the idea of ​​a number of activities and actions." Welcoming everyone's commitment: "Knitters, crocheters..."

Nathalie Platini recalls that "the objective was to mobilize all ages around a creative and collective activity, to create intergenerational links, to promote heritage." Without initially imagining that knitting had such a capacity to unite enthusiasts .

The first highlight of the program is the creation, this week, of a shade sail at the Ville-Haute belvedere under the supervision of artist Paty Vilo, from the Fiberartfever Art Textile collective. An initiative in which volunteers, often mobilized by social centers, nursing homes, independent living facilities, etc., and other volunteers could participate to create, during workshops or alone, placemats that were then assembled. "These are very colorful placemats stretched over circles, themselves hung from a net erected more than 2 meters high from the trees of the belvedere," explains Paty Vilo. "There will be pompoms that will come down, flowers too, it's magnificent. And all this in only two months, it's fantastic, they worked hard - because the majority are women - at full speed."

Knitters and crocheters needed to be supplied with wool before they could get to work. In less than eight weeks, no fewer than 150 placemats were created.

Inaugurated on Friday, June 13, at 11 a.m., the shade sail will remain in place all summer so that the public can come and admire the work carried out.

"The adventure doesn't end there," announces Nathalie Platini. Indeed, another highlight and new creation based on pompoms, knitting machines, and knitted bands—but this one we'll have to wait until the Heritage Days on September 20-21 to admire—is the decoration that will be installed around the bandstand in the town hall park. Our knitters and crocheters have already set to work designing the bands that will adorn the railing. "There are certain dimensions that must be respected."

Paty Vilo: "The bottom of the kiosk will be decorated from behind with strips to highlight the ironwork. At the top, there will be clusters of pompoms. It will give the impression of a hanging rose garden. It will be scalable."

The wool assembly should take place from Monday, September 15 to Thursday, September 18, and the assembly on the kiosk on Thursday, September 18 and Friday, September 19. Nathalie Platini: "It will remain in place for about eight days."

That's it for what's being called "season 1." Other initiatives are to be imagined for next year. Wool remains the common thread.