The first time I faced the harsh reality of betrayal was when I discovered that Jungle Oats bars are dipped in white chocolate instead of yoghurt: I thought they were healthy and ate them at a ferocious rate on an otherwise bland diet. Ignorance is indeed bliss.
The second betrayal was when I started knitting.

Firstly, I wanted to crochet, not knit. Crochet looked cool on Pinterest. Crafty. Fun. Modern. Whereas knitting… Knitting is what grannies do under woolen blankets, making guilt-soaked scratchy jerseys you’re forced to wear out of sheer familial loyalty (I say this based only on movie experiences – the one gran I grew up with knitted me squat.)


Secondly, I heard that knitting is easy. It’s a great way to start being a Crafty, Creative Person who Makes Useful and Practical Things for All of Everyone.
After a trip to the overwhelming Joburg knitting staple, Arthur Bales, with my knitting guru, Stacey, I tried to make my first scarf; following the simple process of knitting and purling.

I literally don’t think knitting could get any easier. You do the stitches it in one direction, then you do them in the other. In and out. Out and in. Over and over and over until a few (hundred) rows later, you have a scarf. So it was with extreme regret and knitting angst that I created THIS:
Please note the precipice of doom. I realized that if a teeny tiny person jumped off the ‘cliff’, they would die. It was at this stage that I gave up on my scarf adventure.
Sadly, with my goldfish memory, I kept forgetting if I was knitting or purling and changed direction with reckless abandon and a ruthless disregard for aesthetics.
So I gave that up.
Understandably, after this ‘knitastrophe’, or ‘knit-gate’, the list of people that wanted my hand-crafted goods shrunk considerably. But knitting for no-one is strangely boring and feels rather pointless, so this was a problem. I needed a willing, helpless knitting recipient.
Cue Ethan, my step-nephew, helpless to resist my knitted products. Two sets of baby booties later…

I realized my niche – knitted bunnies, or Runny Babbits™!
The name comes from my my step-mom in the USA who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. It’s a long distance hug from me to her.

I also made a ginormous grey bunny for baby Ethan.
This has filled me with breezy confidence and inspired me to run my first ever blog give-away! The prize? A hand-knitted and hand stuffed bunny rabbit.
To win a bunny, simply comment below and say what colour you’d like (there are so many different wools, you can really choose pretty much any colour and I’ll make the magic happen). A winner will be randomly selected, emailed and announced on the blog next week Monday. The retail value of the prize is worth approximately R250, and it will be shipped to the winner anywhere in the world. Entries close at 12pm on 16 June. T&C’s apply.
Thanks to Richard Middleton (@RichM97) for the beautiful photographs of baby Ethan.
me, me sam! one for little Ania? 😉 it would HAVE to be pink, but maybe more peachy-pink? keep knitting on, always a good read 😉 xxx
Thanks Mienke! So nice to keep touch through the wonder of the interwebs 🙂
I’d love a happy-coloured one and would display it on the shelf in my living room 🙂
Teal/turquoise would be lovely 🙂
What if the baby wakes up?!!
Then he can hug the bunny!
Sam! I just LOVE the bunnies you make! (And how cute is little Ethan??) I want one please!!! How about light grey and pink? I may just think of a cooler colour if I win, it’ll be on my mind for a while.. 🙂
I want to win a bunny, and I think I deserve to, since i am your Mummy Bunny 🙂
Many people would say the opposite 😉
can I have one with arms? amputee bunny is a teeny bit freaky..xx
Differently-abled bunny is perfect for hugging with no annoying arms in the way 😉
Pale blue, please. 🙂 Or rosebud pink and apple green. Or lavender. Or golden yellow. Oh, I don’t know. They’d be gorgeous in any colour! … How do you feel about rainbow? xxxxx
Oh my word I found this mottled rainbow wool that would look amazing as a bunny. Do love the thought of rosebud pink and apple green though…
Oooh, that does sound like it could make one stunning bunny. If I don’t win, please send me the pattern/instructions? xxxxx
As your best and most-favourite-in-the-whole-world aunt and a very deserving person besides, I absolutely MUST HAVE a Samantha knitted bunny creation in purple please. With pink nose and ear insides. And tail.
You are certainly my favourite aunt, And I have a cerise pink wool and several shades of purple.
Yayness! Your grey bunny is awesomely cute! Can I please enter?! I want a grey one too! (it being the new black and all) – i shall call him squishy greyjoy and he shall be my squishy!! Also – you have inspired me – think i will start knitting my own scarf this weekend! Wish you were here, then we could knit together infront of our fireplace watching animation/pixar. 😦 Coco misses you too. xx
I don’t have a baby nephew or anyone to give a bunny to, but since I’m single I think it could be nice for winter. 😉 A grey one would go perfectly in my room. xxx
*wants bunny from Samantha* Please! xxx
Awesome!! And in what colour, cutie patootie?
Ah the midget scarf was great Sam! Any colour you think would look amazeballs, would be amazeballs! Thanks for the great read:)
If you used that cool, fluffy wool you’d get an awesome Mohair Rabbit effect – and you get it in rainbow colours. I’d opt for a rainbow Mohair Rabbit.
Awesome! A fluffy little LGBT bunneh. Loves it!
Good Lord! I’ve just realised my horrible mistake! “Mohair should not be confused with the fur from the angora rabbit, which is called angora wool” So says the ever wise Wikipedia. What a fashion faux pas…how terribly plebeian of me…
I hope this doesn’t negatively affect my chances of winning 😦
Of course not! All comments will be given a number and thrown into a hat for a random draw on Monday. Though tsk at your faux pas :p
Hot pink with bright red nose.
Please and thank you.