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 me on Facebook as Anja Sammon, and as administrator of the group page “Fiber for your senses” , which aims to provide a knowledge exchange for anyone interested in the therapeutic benefits of textile arts and crafts.
You can also find pictures and information about my current projects on Instagram on anja.sammon, or simply contact me.
Happy knitting! 🙂
Anja Sammon 