Swiss Grandmas Knit Sweater for Smart Car

ZURICH, Switzerland (Sept. 1) -- Aging in Switzerland can be really fun. Or so must think three "grandmothers" who feverishly knitted a car cover for three weeks as part of a project bringing young designers together with elderly people and their nearly forgotten crafts.

The three Swiss women, whose ages range from 78 to 90, completed the knitting task as part of a project initiated by the Senior Design Factory, a Zurich-based creative hot spot that aims at bringing the world of young people a bit closer to that of their grandparents.

The brainchild of two young designers, the Senior Design Factory has "employed" around 40 elderly people since its foundation in 2008.

Among the latest creations by the volunteer designers is the 66-pound wool car cover, in the curious shape of a roller skate.

"When we told them about the project they were like, 'Let's go and knit the car in!'" said Benjamin Moser, who, together with co-founder Debora Biffi and a third young designer in his late 20s, teamed with the three knitting grandmothers.

The car cover, in bright and clear colors, was partly knitted with a machine, while the three old ladies focused especially on the details.

"They were very proud of themselves, once the job was done," Moser said.

The Senior Design Factory hosts, displays and ultimately sells the works of elderly designers, knitters, sewers and illustrators as a way to rescue their manual techniques and knowledge that would otherwise get lost over time.

"Working with them is rewarding. They also can get in touch with young people and learn about new things," Moser said. "If we didn't do projects with them, we would most probably have nothing in common and we would simply forget about them. We try to get closer, and build bridges across the generation gap."

While teaching their younger partners their secrets, the senior designers are also learning something new themselves, such as the latest trends in colors and fabrics, or the use of new media.

"They write letters by hand instead of e-mails and spend a long time on the phone, while we're used to communicating via text messages or chat," Moser said. "But they have also an interesting approach to things and can give really helpful input during a creative process, telling us about things that we did not learn in school, such as the best knitting techniques."

The "recruiting process" is generally by word of mouth, or through media articles about the Senior Design Factory. The elderly people get to spend some of their time at the factory, which features a working studio, a shop and even a restaurant where designers -- senior or otherwise – can also have a go in the kitchen.

Their products are put on display or sold on special occasions, such as the Christmas bazaar.

"While we work with computers and design programs, the senior designers draw with a pencil," Moser said. "When we bring the two approaches together, the creation sparks a very special kind of charm."