It’s been a busy summer for members of the Busy Fingers Knitting Club. So much so that the Orléans-based club is already in need of more wool in order to meet the demand they expect for woolen toques, mitts and scarves this winter and especially around the holiday season.
Each year the Busy Fingers Knitting Club knits more than 3,000 items which they then donate to the city’s community resource centres, homeless shelters, veteran homes, family shelters and maternity wards, to name just a few of the beneficiaries.
Eileen McCaughey, who just turned 91 this week, is the founder and tour de force behind the club which she launched in 2010.
In just the past year the club has expanded to include chapters in Quebec and New Brunswick. Here in Ottawa there are more than 200 members, most of whom live in Orléans.
The only problem with having more members is that it requires more wool. In fact, McCaughey recently delivered a car full of wool to the club’s Quebec chapters including a monastery near Quebec City which specializes in knitting afghans which they give to the local fire department to be used to help comfort people who have to leave their homes in a hurry with nothing on their backs.
Still, the vast majority most of the 3,000-plus items the club knits every year end up being donated to local organizations. And the members continue to come up with new items, like the wool dolls they knit for sick kids at CHEO, or the wool satchel bags designed to hang from a walker or a wheelchair that have become extremely popular among seniors.
The only rule the club sticks by is that the items can not be sold in any way.
“We’re not knitting these things so that people can make money. We knit them for people who really need them,” says McCaughey.
The club is actually mutually beneficial. It gives the members something meaningful to do that will help others, while at the same time providing warmth for people who might not otherwise be able to afford a pair of wool socks, or mittens or even an afghan.
If you would like to donate some wool you can do so by either dropping it off at the
Willowbend retirement community at the corner of Innes and Trim Road, or you can call Eileen at 613-841-3641 and arrange to drop it off at her home or have it picked up. Monetary donations can also be made to help purchase more wool.
The club is also always on the lookout for new members to replace aging members or to simply ad to their ranks. If you are a knitter or would like to learn how to knit you should also contact Eileen.
Members meet at her Fallingbrook home on the third Monday of each month to knit and to socialize.
SAVED BY THE BELL 90s DANCE PARTY at St. Peter High School on Charlemagne Blvd. featuring DJ Mace, DJ Kam and DJ Bounce from 7 p.m. to midnight. Must be 19+. ID required at the door. This is a fundraising event hosted by the St. Peter High School Parents Council. For advance tickets visit 
CUMBERLAND FARMERS MARKET from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the R.J. Kennedy Arena in Cumberland Village with 85 local farmers and vendors ready to showcase their freshest produce, handmade goods, and unique finds.
90s HITS MUSICAL BINGO 7:30 p.m. at the Orléans Brewing Co. 4380 Innes Rd., next to McDonalds. Hosted by Shine.
OYSTER NIGHT every Wednesday from 6-9 pm at the Orléans Brewing Co. Two types of oysters served with lemon, Tobasco, horseradish, salt and mignonette. The Orléans Brewing Co. is located at 4380 Innes Rd., next to McDonalds.
ORLEANS FARMERS MARKET every Thursday from 11 am to 4 pm in the parking lot at the Ray Friel Recreation Centre on Tenth Line Road. Shop the freshest seasonal produce, meat and dairy, baked goods, prepared foods, crafts and more while getting to know the folks who grew and made it.
