When Two Weavers Meet

One summer during high school, I worked at a fishing resort in the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains. In the camp store, a Jim Beam whiskey ad titled “When Two Fishermen Meet” hung on the wall. Between selling fishing lures and cans of chili, we kids memorized the dialogue and competed with each other at reciting it from memory. I still remember the beginning of it, although I’ve had to use Google to refresh my memory of the ending.

It started out:

“Hyamac.”

“Lobuddy.”

“Binearlong.”

“Coplours.”

and so on, ending with, “Guluck.”

Ebb and Flow Crackle Scarf by Sarah H. Jackson from Handwoven March/April 2017.

I’ve noticed that weavers also have a unique way of greeting each other. It usually starts with the “weaver’s handshake,” when one weaver reaches out to touch the scarf of the other weaver. Next, a short question and answer session starts.

“This is beautiful. Is this yours?” isn’t a question about ownership but about craftsmanship. The answer is a short description of the weave structure and the type of yarn used. Follow-up questions can be “How’d you sett it?”, “Did it take up a lot?”, “Where’d you find the draft?”, or “How’d you finish it?”

After the scarf is discussed, the greeting ends with “Whatcha working on?” or “What’s on your loom?” Once that is answered, it’s time to talk about the latest guild meeting, family, and other non-weaving topics.

Next time you meet a fellow weaver, watch and listen—I think you’ll hear the dialogue of “When Two Weavers Meet.” It may never make a Jim Beam ad, but it’s ours.

“Seeyaroun.”

“Yeahtakideezy.”

“Guluck.”

Weave well, Susan