Vitosha, The Blue Arrow Shelter

For the second time this year we hiked from Zheleznitza to the Blue Arrow Shelter on Vitosha and back. It's a quick but intense hike with a lot of elevation in a short distance, so it's currently one of our favourites.
Vitosha in May - it's an English garden :) Lots of green meadows, wild flowers, including wild orchids, birds signing their little hearts out and the snowy peaks of Rila in the distance. What a treat!

Ho'okipa Cardigan

Yesterday's hike on Vitosha was 2-in-1 :) First, we had our three and a half hours hike and then a brief photosession of my Ho'okipa cardigan. The problem with logistics was easily solved as the starting point for our hike - the Golden Bridges, which is the biggest moraine on Vitosha, is a picturesque place and an excellent background for a photoshoot. So this meant that I didn't have to take the outfit with me on the hike, I had it in the car. When we returned from the hike I quickly changed into the dress and platforms (by the way, climbing those stones in platforms is quite the challenge :) )  and was ready to pose for a few pictures. Win-win :)))

Ho'okipa is a simple cardigan, inspired by the Ho'okipa shawl pattern by Paulina Popiolek. It repeats my idea for a solid color stockinette cardigan with lace borders, based on a shawl, which I implemented once in my Maluka cardigan. I wouldn't claim my border is exactly as in the Ho'okipa shawl as I don't have the pattern and what I've knitted is my visual interpretation of what I see in her shawl. The cardigan is slightly tailored, knitted in one piece up to the armholes, with high decorative neckline and 3/4 sleeves.

Pattern: Ho'okipa Cardigan, personal pattern, based on visual interpretation of Ho'okipa shawl
Yarn: Performance Cotton Gem, 100% cotton, 450 g
Needle: 3.5 mm (borders and lace), 4 mm (stockinette st body)
Time to knit: three weeks

Kopitoto-Boyana Falls 2017

Today's hike on Vitosha - husband and I took the map and decided to make a round route, following the paths on the map and combining into one trail places, we've hiked before from different starting points. We left the car at the Golden bridges place and went to Kopitoto peak with the TV tower. Then we continued to the Boyana Falls - I've been many times there, but always hiking from below and this time we were high and descended to the falls from above, visiting the upper threshold first. After a short lunch break at the foot of the falls we climbed back up to Momina skala hut and from there back to the Golden Bridges - I just love it when the route is so intense and circular.

A wet meadow near the Golden Bridges

The path to Kopitoto

Kopitoto peak and the TV tower

A view to Sofia - there were clouds, but the wind carried them away

The Boyana river and a small fall before the big falls

The gorge of Boyana river

The upper threshold of the falls. I can only hope my children do not take such unfounded risks as the young folk on the photo :(

At the foot of the falls

Me, myself and I at the Boyana Falls :)

Rainbow Haruni

This is probably the most power-knitting I've ever done - a lace shawl in less than four days. I cast it on Friday evening, finished it on Monday afternoon, washed it, blocked it and it's now ready to be gifted. I'm so in love with its vibrant colors, I do hope the recipient will like it as much as I do.

Pattern: Haruni
Yarn: Kauni Artistic 8/2, 140 g
Needle: 3.5 mm
Time to knit: 4 days

Haruni is probably the most popular and the most beautiful free pattern of a triangular shawl - the chart is logical and easy to memorize and at the same time the lace it produces is so spectacular. I've browsed through heaps of photos of finished Haruni shawls and I've never seen a failure, regardless of the colors and yarn - they are all gorgeous.

Kauni is Latvian wool, known for its long section color transitions and Harunis, made from Kauni are bound to be striking - and they are. Making this shawl felt to a little extent like cheating - it's easy to get a great result when knitting a gorgeous pattern with a popular gorgeous yarn :)))

This is my third lace shawl and they've all been for gifts, may be it's time for some selfish shawl-knitting :)