Orléans resident and Busy FIngers knitting club founder Eileen McCaughey was hounored for her work in presiding over the club for the past 16 years during a mixed honours ceremony at Rideau Hall on Friday that included the Order of Canada.

During the ceremony, Governor-General Mary Simon bestowed the Order of Canada on 32 recipients as well as the Meritorious Service award on 25 individuals.

McCaughey didn't receive her award until the very end of the ceremony. Even though she has known about the honour for more than two months now, receiving the Sovereign's Medal from the Governor-General was one of the highlights of her life.

"It was the most eciting event I ever had in my life," says the 91-year-old McCauhey. "Can you imagine at my age receiving such an award. I tell you it was unimaginable. When they mentioned my name I almost started to cry."

McCaughey founded the Busy Fingers knitting club in 2010 with just four other knitters. At first that knitted afgans which were donated to a woman's shelter and the Ottawa Fire Service which used them to help comfort victims evacuated from their homes.

As word spread about the club it began to grow both in terms of its membership and in the number of items they knitted. Besides afgans, they knitted socks, scarves, mittens and toques which were then donated to local hospices, the Rideau Perley Hospital, seniors homes, CHEO and several other organizations. All told, the club has donated more than 12,000 items over the past 15 years.

McCauhey has only one rule, the items can never be sold after they've been donated.

The club now has more than 200 members with chapters in Montreal, Québec City and Petawawa. 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.