Jérémy Emsellem, a 23-year-old Parisian student, started out knitting hats for himself and then moved on to 50 of his closest friends. Eventually, he could no longer meet the growing demand and began to look elsewhere, which is where the grandmothers come in.

“The idea to work with grandmas came to me when I visited my great-aunt at her nursing home,” he said. “I saw all these women who were bored to death.” So he asked them if they would like to make crocheted hats, as a way to occupy their time–and to make a little cash on the side. Soon he had his very own syndicate of grandmothers, and launched his online brand, Golden Hook.  He now employs eight grandmothers and is vetting five more for consideration (one of the prerequisites being that they must have grandchildren).

On the website, you choose from a variety of options. There are style choices (classic, long and “Peruvian”) and a variety of color combinations. You can choose between Angora, cashmere or alpaca wool, all of which are sourced from the merry herds of sheep in the French Alps. After choosing your style, color, and material, the order goes to your grandmother of choice.

Unfortunately, the website no longer appears to be active.