Hi! I am Anja Sammon, the person behind Julchen knits. I grew up in Germany and now teach Art, SPHE and CSPE to teenagers in a public school in Galway City on the West coast of Ireland.
I learned how to knit as a young child and loved it, as my mother is a passionate fibre crafter who passed on her devotion and appreciation for many different textile skills to me. This is where “Julchen knits” was born: “Julchen” (pronounced “Yool-hen”) is a German pet name for mischievous little girls, and as I would often be seen perched on the kitchen counter with my knitting , someone would surely say ” Guck, das Julchen strickt wieder!” – “Look, the rascal is knitting again!”
When I reached my 20’s, I had started in a career as tailor and wardrobe mistress for theatre and stage, and stopped all textile production I did as a hobby. Costume work turned into teaching with a focus on textile arts and crafts, and in my 50’s I rediscovered knitting as a way to unwind and relax after work. I have been knitting and pattern designing ever since.
I am particularly interested in the therapeutic benefits of knitting and textile crafts on mental health, and I have noticed the significant positive impact textile crafts can have on my students. I am currently studying for my Knitting Instructor Certificate with the TKGA, focusing on the areas of neuroscience and crafts, with the intention to introduce a school-wide textile crafts wellbeing program.
You can find pictures and information about my current projects on Instagram on anja.sammon, or simply contact me.
Happy knitting! 🙂
Anja Sammon 