My search for the perfect yarn to make an adult sized crochet Viking helmet did not go exactly as planned–instead of leading me to the yarn I know that I have somewhere, it instead took me on a detour to my extensive collection of yarn scraps.

I started, with the best of intentions, going through the bins in my garage. It is where all of the yarns I have unpacked since “the great move to Albuquerque” are stored. While the bins are easy to see into and it was a quick process, it only helped me go through the yarns I have unpacked.

Those yarns that are still in the brown cardboard boxes I so lovingly packed them into almost two years ago now–they were not as easy to get to, so with a strange feeling that was equal parts resignation and determination I decided to streamline my scrap collection and use them to crochet a series of five very large granny squares to be used as “seat cozies” on a asofa and two chairs in my living room.

I started by tracking down the yellows in my scrap yarn collection:

I find yellow to be one of those colors that is difficult to combine with other colors, so using a 4.0 mm crochet hook and this granny square tutorial, I combined my yellow yarn scraps with other yellow yarn scraps and got this granny square:

I was pleased with how nicely the yellows worked together, and while I was running short on yellow yarn scraps at my disposal, I had a handful of green yarn scraps within easy reach:

So using the same technique, I got to work, and in no time, I had the start of another square:

Every time I am forced to make a detour, I get a bit nervous: will I be able to find my way back to the main road? Will I reach my intended destination? So far the answer has been yes, and with that in mind, I will continue moving forward one stitch at a time, while I keep my eyes and my mind open as I look for the perfect yarn for a crochet Viking helmet.