When anxiety crept in during lockdown, Yina turned to crochet to calm her mind. A former banker with a background in textiles, she began stitching tiny animals for her son and their corgi, Sherlock. What started as a quiet creative outlet quickly caught attention first from friends, then from strangers at a Wimbledon market. Encouraged by her partner Jun, Yina realised this was more than a hobby and Happy Vanilla was born.