Wool gathering at Rose House Museum Fibre Fest

Information on a display at Fibre Fest reminded visitors that ‘wool gathering’ was the act of gathering up fragments of wool from the bushes and shrubs where it had been torm from the sheep as they walked or grazed. Today, we refer to wool gathering as being in an absent-minded state, or having a wandering mind.

Both aspects were demonstrated at Rose House Museum in Waupoos on Saturday as guests toured the displays and demonstrations on the grounds, took time to smell the newly-bloomed peonies and roses and went back in time during a tour through the museum.

The day featured demonstrations by the County Handspinners and others working with fibre, displays, vendors, children’s activities, and a barbecue.

The Rose family lived in Rose House for five generations. Peter Rose arrived in the County prior to 1796 with the first Marysburgh settlers, made up of United Empire Loyalists and Hessian (German) soldiers. Rose House is believed to be constructed from salvaged timber from the community’s original Lutheran Church. It was converted into a museum in the 1960s.

Admission is by donation. Rose House Museum is open Wednesdays to Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. until Labour Day in September.

Click here for more information on all five of the County’s museums and programs.