Date: November 18, 2007
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Papale Pepe Na Kupuna club makes babies first fashion statements, knitting generations together with their Captivating creations

THE MAUI NEWS -- Dr. Shirley Chun-Ming slowly makes her way through the rows of colorful handmade baby caps lying on the table. Light blue with white stripes? Wrong colors. A medium-sized multicolored version? Too big. Her eyes focus in on a tiny pink and white creation with a ball of pink yarn peeking out from the top. Perfect.

"This is the one," says the Maui Memorial Medical Center obstetrician, as she clutches onto the petite pink and white stripped cap. "This is just the right size."

The soon-to-be recipient is a brand new 3-pound baby girl. Born several months premature, the extra small cap is a perfect fit for her tiny head. She is one of the more than 1,400 recipients to get a pint-sized gift made by local knitting club Papale Pepe Na Kupuna or "Baby Caps by the Kupuna."

Founded by Paia resident Alma enPaz, the group creates caps for every infant born at Maui Memorial Medical Center. With an average of 170 babies arriving each month, the women are constantly looping and stitching to stay ahead of the curve. Chances are, if you ’ ve delivered at the hospital recently, your baby received a unique handmade cap from the group.

To date, the women have knit over 1,500 caps. Their kaleidoscope of creations include one in every color, size and pattern. And with the holiday season in full swing, the latest collections are taking on Thanksgiving and Christmas themes like pumpkin, elf and Christmas tree caps.

Even the doctors and nurses get a kick out of the season ’ s latest pieces, according to Chun-Ming.

"It ’s great that we have this kind of variety because every baby is so different. It ’ s fun because it ’ s like picking out clothes for them – it ’ s their first piece of fashion," she says. "And for every cap there ’ s the perfect baby."

A lifelong knitter, enPaz first began donating her crafts through a group in California called Mad Hatters. Among its various projects, the group creates caps for newborns, clothes for foster children and blankets for kids in Africa.

“It was such a wonderful experience and such a worthy cause,” she remembers.

When enPaz moved back to Mauia few years ago her passion for knitting followed. In March she contacted the Maui Memorial Medical Center Foundation, who adopted the idea and helped by announcing the new club in its monthly newsletter. Word of this philanthropic group quickly spread and today Papale Pepe Na Kupuna includes over 20 women from across the island who knit, crochet and loom caps for Maui’s newborns.

“I knit everywhere I go,” says enPaz, “I would be knitting on the bus and at the bus stop and people were interested and would ask me what I was making. I even recruited people from knitting out in public.”

The club doesn’t collect dues or keep membership lists. There are no requirements and no pressure to produce.

“We don’t have any kind of quota and it’s all voluntary,” says enPaz. “If people don’t feel well, if they’re off island or busy, it doesn’t matter.”

It takes en Paz anywhere from 3 to 5 hours to finish a single cap. The process is even quicker for the women who use the spinning technique - about one hour to complete a piece. Much of the yarn and other materials are donated by the women themselves, but help from local businesses like Ben Franklin Crafts has boosted the club’s inventory.

While most of the work is done at home, the spirited group meets monthly at locations throughout the island. Besides keeping their hands busy and giving back to the community, they exchange patterns, pointers and stories.

Makawao resident Matilda Applewhite is one of the regulars. A grandmother of 22 and great grandmother of 12, she’s passionate about giving back to the community.

“Volunteering is a thing for me. All my life I try to volunteer — it’s a pleasure because I’m doing something for somebody,” she says.

Applewhite admits that she gets a little in return, too.

“I love this group — they’re awesome seniors! The people are so good and it’s fun to get together and talk story,” Applewhite says.

Word of the club’s project has traveled as far as Minnesota. Satellite member Lois Housker donated 32 caps after hearing about the knitting group through her daughter who lives on Maui. Club members never meet the mothers and babies who receive the caps, but they anticipate the day when they run into a baby in the supermarket or at the mall wearing one of their eye-catching creations.

“It’s wonderful that we can give every mom something, and the parents are very happy to receive it. It’s something that they can use immediately and they can keep for the rest of their lives — it’s like a keepsake,” Chun-Ming says.

While the group is made up of senior citizen women, en Paz encourages people of any age to join the club. And yes, men are invited too.

“Men don’t know what they’re missing,” she jokes. “Women are more likely toknit, but it’s not an exclusive thing. If men want to join us they’re welcome.”

Reach Lehia Apana at Iehia@mauinews.com.

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Papale Pepe Na Kupuna club makes babies' first statements, knitting generations together with their captivating creations.