I seldom go anywhere without my crochet hooks and some yarn, and today was no exception. My husband and I had decided to go out to lunch and when I got myself ready to go, I decided to take along my front burner crochet hat project; before I knew it I had one more Viking crochet helmet on my crochet to-do list.

We had decided on a nearby restaurant that specializes in New Mexican cuisine. While we wait for lunch, we munched on corn chips and an extremely hot red salsa. While I waited for the fire in my mouth to abate, I got out the Viking helmet I had been working on and set up shop. All I had left to do was finishing attaching one of the horns, weave in a few ends, and attach the decorative strips that go around the base of the horns.

So while I waited for lunch, I got to work:

My efforts to get the helmet done were interrupted by the arrival of lunch, but as the waitress served us our lunch, she said she would not mind getting the hat as a tip as she has a one-year-old son for whom she felt it would be just right.

I explained that the hat was already destined for another baby’s head, but that I would be delighted to make one for her son. We settled on the colors, I ate my lunch, and when I got home, I took care of the last few details on the first helmet:

and then started searching for the yarn I would use for the next one.

It only took a few minutes to put my hands on the colors I needed, and before I knew it I was 20 rounds into the second hat, and the sun was about to set:

And this crochet appreciative waitress with a little boy in need off a Viking crochet helmet is a reminder to crocheters everywhere, if the people to whom you give the gift of crochet don’t say thank you, find new people.