Retrospect | 2015 in Review

Oh 2015 - what an unexpected rollercoaster you have been! Of course I didn't know what was in-store when this year began, and if I had known then at some points I'm not sure I would have wanted to come along for the ride. Beginning with dry weather, then drowning us in February and continuing on with a year that has been full of extreme highs and lows.

At the start of January I blogged, unknown at the time, the last photo of Spud that I ever would. The day after, late in the afternoon, something happened that meant I had to make the heartbreaking decision to put Spud to sleep, although I couldn't find the words to write about it here until April.
Between all of that there was my first ever knitting pattern published, there was cheesemaking and veggie patch growing, there was our first homegrown lamb to enjoy, and after going to a Joel Salatin workshop we began to dream about owning pigs and then that actually happened.

In May darling Bambi came home and after the heartbreak with Spud she made everything all right. Then a few days later a lamb was born from one of our new ewes, who had come home in April along with the ram I had been so impatiently waiting to get.

At the start of winter we had milk coming out of our ears, we brought home a trio of sows, I realised just how much I've learned on this journey to "the good life" and saw my second knitting pattern published.
Then it was time to farewell winter and look forward to the promise of spring. (And how beautiful it was!)
Calving began, and our first lambing season followed.

In October I took a leap and left Chantille Fleur behind to rebrand this space into Say! Little Hen. I didn't know if you'd like it, if I'd like or what I was doing really. But it turned out to be the best blogging decision I'd made all year. Say! Little Hen has brought together what I want this space to be, and best of all you've embraced it with open arms.

In November I began a three part series on chicken care; I joined the #littlesquaresofstrength project, for which I published a free pattern that then inspired several more knitted blanket square patterns.
I tried drying herbs and knitting lace, and I published my last knitting pattern for the year.
At the beginning of December we enjoyed our first homegrown peaches.

I wrote this post and it became the most popular for the year. And in between all of this there was gingerbread making, spring knitting, persimmon preserving, the pride of homegrown, beautiful sunrises to admire and an Echidna to be in awe of.

What a full year it has been!
I can scarcely believe it is ending already, but at the same time I feel as if it's been here for so very long.

I'd love to hear a few things that have stood out to you in 2015.

Happy New Year!
See you in 2016. What shall it hold I wonder?


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