July's Featured Designer: Charles Voth "Stitch Stud"

This July we'd like to turn the spotlight onto our long time designer Charles Voth- also known as "Stitch Stud". Charles has been designing for us for almost as long as The Unique Sheep has been in business and we have been thrilled to see him develop as a designer and become well known in the fiber arts industry. Charles' designs are always popping up in magazines and, of course, in Unique Sheep clubs!

We will be giving away one of Charles' patterns FREE with July orders*! You can see more of Charles' designs on his Ravelry page.

When did you learn to knit and crochet?

I learned how to crochet when I was 4. A friend of my mom taught me.
I was 10 when I learned how to knit. My grade 4 teacher taught me, but my dad bought me my first needles and yarn from a yarn store. She left after grade 4 so my dad asked the yarn store ladies to teach me more things.

How did you get into designing?

I started designing when I was 15 because I wanted men's items for myself to wear. The yarn store ladies taught me how to swatch, calculate gauge, draw a schematic with measurements and then design on the needles from there out. I had to teach myself how to read patterns when I was 18 and worked in a different yarn store.
I started designing crochet about 4 years ago just for fun and things just kind of took off for me from there. Now I enjoy designing in both crafts.

What is your favorite fiber and yarn weight to work with?

For knitting I like DK and 4-ply (sport) weight the most. Natural fibres are my favourite, and really like wool/silk blends. For crochet, i like 2-ply lace and 3-ply fingering weight and silk, tencel, alpaca and wool are my favourite fibres, and blends of these are the best of all.

What are you currently designing?

I'm designing a crocheted shawl for a yarn company, a men's sweater for another yarn company, some baby/yound kids' sweaters for my own pattern line and some thread crochet for my own pattern line.
 

Part 2.
1. What is your favorite word?

Any Elfin/Elfish word from the Tolkein trilogy
2. What is your least favorite word?

The f-word
3. What turns you on?

Lively Latin-Jazz fusion.
4. What turns you off?

Sexist women (who give me a hard time about knitting/crocheting), I can handle the men...they're just naive and fearful. This type of woman comes across like I've trespassed into private territory.
5. What sound do you love to hear?

Ocean waves
6. What sound do you hate to hear?

Traffic
7. What is your favorite curse word?
Malparido (Spanish for Bastard)
8. What profession other than yours would you like to attempt

Magazine Editor
9. What profession would you not like to do?
Anything in the field of medicine
10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

You've been an awesome Dad and Husband, and thanks for remembering to dance and laugh and for enjoying the music I inspired humans to create and the colours I dabbled into the world around you.

Website:  charlesvothdesigns.ca
Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/people/StitchStud
Twitter: Stitchstud
Email: Charles@charlesvothdesigns.ca

*Free patterns will be included with all non-club orders placed in July for $30 or more while supplies last