The original idea for yarn&whiskey was born out of my dream of owning a bar with a yarn shop attached, hence the name yarn&whiskey. One day, I hope to turn a version of this vision into reality, but the brand and website officially launched in January 2020. As an avid collector of African print fabric and clothing, I began to develop a line of project bags for discerning crafters using these prints. African prints make me feel elegant and fierce. To me, these prints are finery. They are spirit boosting. I want to make bags that spark that same feeling of elegance, pride, and fearlessness in others.
I started sewing and knitting in the early 2000s out of a restless longing to create. After admiring a friend's scarf at a house party and hearing that he'd knit the scarf himself, I knew I had to learn. A born and raised New Yorker, I found myself enrolling in many fiber related classes across the city and discovered my passion. I've picked up other fiber habits since then, including weaving, spinning, and dyeing. In addition, I am about to complete a degree in Textile & Surface Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology with a plan to bring my original textile designs to my bag collection.
I hope to give my customers lots of color, print, simple functionality, and a way to express themselves. yarn&whiskey bags are for people who appreciate handcrafted products, who never met a color they couldn't rock, and who stroll through life to their own soulful soundtrack.
— Tammi Williams, Owner of yarn&whiskey