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Made in Mill Valley
  
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75- to 96-year-old knitters form the backbone of business
By Soren Hemmila, Marinscope Newspapers
Daphne Campbell stopped knitting for her family when a grandchild made fun of her handmade gift. Now the purses, bags and clutches she knits for Sarah Oliver Handbags sell for hundreds of dollars at specialty boutiques around the country.
Campbell, 90, is a member of the Purlettes Plus One, a group of senior knitters at the Redwoods retirement community in Mill Valley that produces handmade items. The knitting circle meets once a week to socialize, talk about television and trade finished knitted products for more yarn and assignments to create the next week’s bags.
“I do about 100 a year of varying sizes,” said Campbell of her creations. Over her five years with the group, Campbell has knitted 500 purses. She will complete four this week.
Six years ago Mill Valley resident Sarah Oliver enlisted the help of Redwoods residents when she was unable to keep up with the production demands of her business. “When I went to expand, it was a natural fit to come here. I asked the program director to start a knitting group to produce items for my business.”
Oliver posted fliers and seven knitters showed up at the first meeting six years ago. The knitter-residents range in age from 75 to 96 and form the backbone of Oliver’s business. The bags are handmade in Mill Valley by Mill Valley residents, so the bags are 100 percent made in America—something the knitters feel is important.
The Purlettes are big fans of the TV series “Mad Men.” Several members of the group lived in Manhattan in the ’60s, when “Mad Men” is set. It also doesn’t hurt that Bryan Batt, the actor who played art director Salvatore Romano on the show, orders many of Oliver’s purses for his New Orleans boutique Hazelnut.
Oliver’s association with the Redwoods community began when the mothers’ group she was a member of scheduled playgroups at the center. “It was a great opportunity to expose our children to people of different ages,” Oliver said.
The ‘Plus One’
Nuns taught Hector Richards to knit in grammar school. He is the “Plus One” in the Purlettes — the youngest of the knitting circle at 75, and its only male. “Knitting is very therapeutic. They teach knitting in the military,” said Richards, who donates the money he earns from Oliver to the Redwood Scholarship Fund.
Each knitter is paid by the piece to allow for differences in speed among the group. Some knitters whip out 10 pieces a day, others take longer. “I don’t think they do it for the money, although they’re very sharp. If I make a mistake calculating how much to pay, I get a call, they’re on me — they are on me for their tax paperwork,” Oliver said.
Oliver hands out knitting assignments and balls of yarn one week and returns the following week to pick up the knitting. After she collects the week’s creations she takes them to her office in Sausalito, where three employees complete the final stage of the process.
“I think they get the most enjoyment seeing the finished product,” Oliver said. “So many of them have knitted their whole lives. They give a sweater and they work so hard on it and it’s not appreciated. But I bring back bags and they’ll see what they look like when they’re done, and how much they sell for, and they’re just so proud.”
Oliver and her staff wash the knitted items which shrinks the 100 percent Peruvian wool to form the felted texture of the bags. The handbags are carefully shaped and dried. To create the finished look, Oliver’s employees use electric clippers to shave off the pills and extra fuzz that forms when the bags are washed. Oliver finishes the bags by hand-sewing handles, clasps or special brooches.
Sarah Oliver Handbags are available online and at 70 stores across the country such as Gump’s in San Francisco and Pennyweight in Napa.
Working with a group with an average age of 83 has its downside. “I’ve lost a bunch. That’s hard, but more people come and they’re very supportive of each other,” Oliver said. They’re like family to me. I’m grateful for their friendship and contribution to what is much more than a business.”
Contact Soren Hemmila at shemmila@marinscope.com.
Campbell, 90, is a member of the Purlettes Plus One, a group of senior knitters at the Redwoods retirement community in Mill Valley that produces handmade items. The knitting circle meets once a week to socialize, talk about television and trade finished knitted products for more yarn and assignments to create the next week’s bags.
“I do about 100 a year of varying sizes,” said Campbell of her creations. Over her five years with the group, Campbell has knitted 500 purses. She will complete four this week.
Six years ago Mill Valley resident Sarah Oliver enlisted the help of Redwoods residents when she was unable to keep up with the production demands of her business. “When I went to expand, it was a natural fit to come here. I asked the program director to start a knitting group to produce items for my business.”
Oliver posted fliers and seven knitters showed up at the first meeting six years ago. The knitter-residents range in age from 75 to 96 and form the backbone of Oliver’s business. The bags are handmade in Mill Valley by Mill Valley residents, so the bags are 100 percent made in America—something the knitters feel is important.
The Purlettes are big fans of the TV series “Mad Men.” Several members of the group lived in Manhattan in the ’60s, when “Mad Men” is set. It also doesn’t hurt that Bryan Batt, the actor who played art director Salvatore Romano on the show, orders many of Oliver’s purses for his New Orleans boutique Hazelnut.
Oliver’s association with the Redwoods community began when the mothers’ group she was a member of scheduled playgroups at the center. “It was a great opportunity to expose our children to people of different ages,” Oliver said.
The ‘Plus One’
Nuns taught Hector Richards to knit in grammar school. He is the “Plus One” in the Purlettes — the youngest of the knitting circle at 75, and its only male. “Knitting is very therapeutic. They teach knitting in the military,” said Richards, who donates the money he earns from Oliver to the Redwood Scholarship Fund.
Each knitter is paid by the piece to allow for differences in speed among the group. Some knitters whip out 10 pieces a day, others take longer. “I don’t think they do it for the money, although they’re very sharp. If I make a mistake calculating how much to pay, I get a call, they’re on me — they are on me for their tax paperwork,” Oliver said.
Oliver hands out knitting assignments and balls of yarn one week and returns the following week to pick up the knitting. After she collects the week’s creations she takes them to her office in Sausalito, where three employees complete the final stage of the process.
“I think they get the most enjoyment seeing the finished product,” Oliver said. “So many of them have knitted their whole lives. They give a sweater and they work so hard on it and it’s not appreciated. But I bring back bags and they’ll see what they look like when they’re done, and how much they sell for, and they’re just so proud.”
Oliver and her staff wash the knitted items which shrinks the 100 percent Peruvian wool to form the felted texture of the bags. The handbags are carefully shaped and dried. To create the finished look, Oliver’s employees use electric clippers to shave off the pills and extra fuzz that forms when the bags are washed. Oliver finishes the bags by hand-sewing handles, clasps or special brooches.
Sarah Oliver Handbags are available online and at 70 stores across the country such as Gump’s in San Francisco and Pennyweight in Napa.
Working with a group with an average age of 83 has its downside. “I’ve lost a bunch. That’s hard, but more people come and they’re very supportive of each other,” Oliver said. They’re like family to me. I’m grateful for their friendship and contribution to what is much more than a business.”
Contact Soren Hemmila at shemmila@marinscope.com.
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