Can you believe we met knitwear designer, Dylan Uscher, on Instagram? Not a fashion event, not through contacts, but rather organically, in the burgeoning world of social media. We thought this alone was fascinating, but, it also showed that our new knitting friend was quite the savvy businessman.
So, given that we only really communicated via a few friendly emails before our first meeting, we really didn’t know what to expect from the Cambridge native. Well, that’s not entirely true. We knew to expect some fabulous pieces, which had lured us to his Instagram account in the first place.
But, after spending an afternoon with this passionate designer in his South End studio, we quickly realized those friendly emails were just a hint at the incredibly sweet guy who is Dylan Uscher. And, while he may be savvy, he’s also warm, hip, and an extremely talented designer. C’mon, the guy knitted this award-winning dress out of toilet paper! Take that Rumpelstiltskin!
Dylan created this award-winning dress made entirely out of toilet paper by cutting the household necessity into strips, spinning the strips into plies for the yarn, then spinning two plies together to make it stronger, and then designing and hand-knitting gorgeous garb for the runway!
So, needless to say, we instantly fell in love with Dylan. How could we not crush on someone who is so impressive? Not only is the artist self taught, but he’s also a childhood cancer survivor; oh, and a stand-up comic in his spare time!
As we perused through the gorgeous pieces at his studio, we were amazed to learn that Dylan hadn’t been born knitting and that it was actually through serendipity that he stumbled on what would be his life’s passion.
During his freshman year at the University of Toronto, a bus ride took Dylan on a “detour” from his career path to become a linguistics specialist. Dylan and a “knitter” friend were both riding out traffic on a bus. To kill the time, his friend showed him a few of the basic stitches; just for fun. But, before he knew it, he was teaching himself well beyond the knit and purl stitch. When he headed back to Boston on winter break he told his mom and grandmother about his new found obsession. Soon, they were all at the yarn store shopping for supplies and equipment.
So, with a knack for creativity, he started knitting and spinning and eventually spun himself into the realization that what was going to make him the most happy was a career based in the arts.
Soon, what started as a fun little hobby grew into a profession when through 2010 and 2011 the designer started doing design pieces for private label work. He still does a good amount of that today. But, in 2013, he headed back to Boston to start his own collection and now heads Dylanium Knits.
The theme for his breakout collection was winter rose, a beautiful neutral palate with color and pattern blocking. Not only are the color and pattern details striking in his work, but the materials he chooses are full of texture and the designs are loaded with dimension. It’s a feast for the eyes, and tactile heaven for the hands and body. We absolutely loved being able to try on some of the pieces!
This gorgeous long cardigan on Kim is an alpaca-merino blend. Kim felt sophisticated, yet super comfortable.
Jess is wearing a 100% Cashmere Beige Cropped Sweater. She loved the structured top and fitted body.
What we really loved about these pieces and accessories, is that you don’t sacrifice comfort for style. All of the pieces are soft and delectable for the sense of touch. His snoods and cowls wrap you in luxury and safety. Jess instantly fell in love with this dark grey snood and had to take it home.
All of the cowls, snoods, and shawls are available on Dylan’s Dylaniumknits.com You should really treat yourself! There all different shapes, sizes, and colors. Try them with a tank for a rebel artist appeal! 😉
Cowl and Scarf, both Available at Dylaniumknits.com
When Dylan isn’t carefully hand-knitting the pieces, he’s painstakingly hand-punching patterns onto pattern cards for his knitting machine. This pattern card for this adorable cropped sweater is in the loom. If you look closely, you can see the hand-punched pattern. We love the varying textures, a baby soft alpaca blend for the body and the mature Japanese paper blend for the sleeves.
We loved meeting Dylan, and here’s the unbelievably cool thing. Not only can you meet this kind and funny soul, but you can also learn how to knit from him! That’s right, you can take a class with the talented and rising star, Dylan Uscher, and learn how to do the knit or purl stitch yourself!
Even better, Mr. Sweetie will provide wine and cheese for you during class! We think this is a fantastic idea for a girls’ night out or a sophisticated start for a bachelorette party. (HINT: Hurry and sign up for the next class on April 14th.) He also teaches recurring classes at JPKnit & Stitch, for those of you looking to become more skilled.
We’re expecting big things from this super cool guy. Currently in the works are knitted housewares. We’re dying to see what he designs. We can imagine them thrown all over chic luxury penthouses and Nantucket Beach homes. 😉
You can find Dylan on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook @dylaniumknits.
We also want to give a huge thanks to our amazing photographer Ellen Korsh!
Enjoy the gallery!
P.S. You can catch Dylan and his stand up act THREE times in April! 🙂 We think this could be another post… 🙂
Until next time! XOXO
