The name says it all. Busy Fingers has been “busy” knitting shawls, afghans and mittens for military veterans and other seniors for over 10 years now.

Led by their founder Eileen McCaughey, the group has knitted more than 10,000 items over the years, including the 2,000-plus items they gave out to more than 30 organizations last year. Veterans’ House in Ottawa received more than 220 items alone including afghans, mittens, toques and scarves.

Busy Fingers founder Eileen McCaughey stands among some of the items made by the more than 100 members of her knitting and crocheting group. FRED SHERWIN PHOTO

Eileen, who is 87 years young, was in the middle of knitting an afghan in 2010 when her husband passed away just four days before Christmas. At the time, her son-in-law, who is a policeman, noticed what she was knitting the afghan and suggested she donate it to the Elder Abuse Section which could use it as a way to build trust with victims. Soon afterwards, Eileen made other afghans for seniors who had suffered from elder abuse.

When word spread about her pet project, other seniors offered their services to help knit the afghans. They soon began to run out of wool. When word spread once again that they were running out of wool, Eileen began to receive donations of dozens of balls of wool which soon turned into hundreds and things snowballed from there.

Eileen now leads a team of more than 100 volunteers which hails from all over Ontario and Québec, including such far flung places as Tamiskaming, Québec City and Petawawa.

Many of the knitters and crocheters are either widows or empty-nesters who have a lot of free time on their hands.

“When I started this I was alone, then it started snowballing from one to the other. Since then it has gone to over 100 knitters, all by word of mouth,” says Eileen. “Never in my lifetime did I ever think it would grow so big.”

The core group of 20-30 knitters meet at Eileen’s South Fallingbrook home the first and third Monday of every month to chat, have coffee and knit.

“It’s a way for them to keep busy and feel like they are doing something useful. It’s very therapeutic,” says Eileen. “And the neat thing is they never know who they’re knitting for. They just know that it’s going to a good home.”

The reaction of the veterans and other seniors who receive the group’s items is truly heart-warming.

“Some of them cry because they’ve never received anything like that in their lives and they are just so thankful,” says Eileen. “It makes me so happy to be doing that. It keeps me busy and it makes me feel great. It like to help people. It’s what keeps me going.”

With so many knitters working on so many items, the group has been able to expand their scope beyond veterans to victims of crimes and fires, women’s shelters, long-term care centres and hospices. All of the items are given out by Christmas.

“By Christmas whatever I have has to go out because it is not warming anyone in my basement,” says Eileen.

Because of the pandemic, yarn donations are down this year compared to years past. Eileen is hoping that by getting the word out, donations will pick up. Anyone with wool to donate, or who would like to join the group, can call Eileen at 613-841-3641.One of the group’s members volunteers to pick up wool donations, or you can simply drop any unused wool off at the Sienna Bearbrook Retirement Residence in Blackburn Hamlet. There’s a bin just inside the main door.

Rest assured that whatever you drop off, no matter how big or small, will be put to good use.