Purple Grasser Hoodie

I made a new warm hoodie. I bought the pattern from Grasser about two years ago, I even promptly printed it (and forgot about that, so I printed it anew, uff), but then I used the fabric I had intended for it for a different project and more or less abandoned the idea.

Then a couple of weeks ago I came upon small piece of one side brushed fleece in this absolutely gorgeous red wine color and simply had to have it. Unfortunately, the shop didn't have more of this fabric in this particular color and I didn't fancy any of their other fleeces, so this 80 cm piece, 180 cm wide, had to fit the bill. And it did, more or less.

The pattern is a moderate volume sweater, with a generous hood, which I lined with black cotton jersey and a kangaroo pocket at the front. I wanted to make the cuffs and hem out of rib cuffing, but I simply couldn't find any ribbing that would suit the color of the hoodie, so in the end I managed to squeeze cuffing out of the same 80 cm piece of fleece.

The fabric is very soft and warm and the hoodie feels super comfortable. I made the sleeves and the body a bit longer as I am willing to give it to Gaby, if she wants it (we are expecting her for a couple of days next week); otherwise I'd be happy to keep it for myself.

Pattern: Grasser N 634

Size: 40, Height 158-164cm 

Fabric: cotton sweatpants fabric, 80 cm

Time to make: 6 days

The hood is probably the best feature of this sweater, it is wide enough (as I like them), sits comfortably on the shoulders and does not pull back.

Would I recommend the pattern or repeat it? I don't think so. I don't like the fallen shoulders and the volume they give to the upper part of the body. True, the freedom of movement is good and the overall volume is comfortable, but I don't like the look of it and I am willing to try other patterns for my next hoodies.

The Magic of Autumnal Kladnitza

There's no place like Kladnitza to visit in October - it is the epitome of autumnal beauty to me and a must in our hiking plans each autumn since we found it.

We are still enjoying a very long and warm Indian summer and last weekend was again warm and sunny and brilliant in a long chain of warm and sunny autumn days.

Hike info:

Destination: round trail Kladnitza

Mountain: Vitosha

Total length: 16 km

Elevation gain: 500 m

Total duration (plus picnic and rests): 5 hours

Average difficulty: 4 / 10

Me-made items, worn on this hike:

 

Husband: men's boxers, Knip Mode cargo pants

I: lingerie, Grey "Page" Hoodie, raglan Burda blouse, flared Knipmode pants

I'm sure part of Kladnitza's charm is due to its predominantly beech and elm forests, which color so spectacularly in October,

followed by my probably most favourite part of the hike - the plateau with its bales of hay and views to the distant Rila mountain.

The trail is circular and takes a wide round along the sunlit south slopes of Vitosha.

Is Goten Gotin*

Yesterday we hiked in Sofijska Mountain, a part of the mountain chain of the Balkans. Strange enough, though Sofijska Mountain is fairly close to Sofia, obviously, we very rarely travel in this direction and know almost nothing about the trails and sights there.

Not long ago we came upon a GPS track for a trail from the small town of Buhovo to the summit of the mountain - peak Goten and back along an alternative track. It was a good thing we had this track, as the trails are very poorly marked, the mountain is criss-crossed with dirt roads and tracks and finding your way without GPS navigation, especially when one doesn't know the mountain, would have been problematic.

It seems the peak is not very frequented, as we were the only tourists along the paths. However, the area is popular with racers and mountain motor bikers. The trail starts from a small racing track at the outskirts of the town and almost during the entire hike we could hear the roar of the cars and the motor bikes.

:A view to Buhovo and Sofia Valley

:The trail to the peak was not long - only 5.5 km, but quite steep almost along its entire length.

Hike info:

Destination: peak Goten

Mountain: Sofijska Mountain

Total length: 11.3 km

Elevation gain: 600 m

Total duration (plus picnic and rests): 4+ hours

Average difficulty: 5 / 10 

:The day was surprisingly warm for mid-October and our jackets and upper clothes stayed in the backpacks / tied around the waist during the entire hike

:A view to peak Murgash (1687 m) in the distance

:The wild pear and apple trees along the way were beautifully colored in red

Me-made items, worn on this hike:

 

Husband: men's boxers, Knip Mode cargo pants

I: lingerie, Sabrina Slims III, knitted Central Park cardigan

:On peak Goten (1294 m)

:We had our picnic here, with a view to Vitosha across the Sofia Valley

:The alternative track down was as steep as the one up

:In the past Buhovo was a mining center and traces of the mining activities can still be seen along the neighboring hills

:Just before entering back into Buhovo, we passed through the St. Maria Magdalena monastery, where half a dozen of people were basking in the warm October sun

 *Gotin - BG coloq. cool