Something I’m trying to do more of is purchase from some fun places and then ask the artist/business owner questions so you can get to know more shops and see what they have to offer!

I’ve been following the Oolong Owl on social media and reading their blog posts for a while now. Char has wonderful insights on tea and she also creates the cutest crochet tea owls over at Owl Spun! I finally decided to get one made and it’s the cutest. I have been so swamped that I have not yet named her but I will certainly take suggestions :D Comment your suggestions on this post!

Isn’t she the cutest? I had to get a beautiful green color because it’s my favorite and the scarf is just so cute. I have her on my bureau where all my shop supplies are so she’s supervising me when I pack orders!

Learn a little more about Char and check out Owl Spun and the Oolong Owl below:

Owlspun
instagram owlspun
Tea Dyed Owl

The Oolong Owl

1) Tell us a little bit about yourself! Maybe a couple fun facts?

I'm Char, the writer at Oolong Owl and crafter of Owl Spun. The Tea Owl shop is the nest of my hand crochet Tea Owls, whereas Owl Spun is my knitting/ crochet patterns and handspun yarn. My crafting used to be under a different name until very recently, as I've fully embraced the owl, LOL. Besides tea and crafts, I enjoy cruising, cooking, and powerlifting. I have a permanently grumpy Holland lop rabbit named Benson, and a handsome but silly Satin Angora named Lucien.

2) When did you start drinking tea or when did your passion for tea start?

My family always drank tea - my mum always stove boiled oolongs and my dad loves his earl grey and chai. Growing up, we would go for Dim Sum regularly and get served puer in impossibly hot water glasses. The hardcore tea passion started around 2011 and I just started buying a lot of tea to keep me grounded and caffeinated at work.

3) What inspired you to start your tea owl shop?

Around 2008 I started designing my own crochet patterns. Back then, there weren't many cool crochet amigurumi options as everything was in Japanese. I picked up most of my skills learning off Japanese books, then I started designing my own and selling patterns to crochet your own or I make the finished item. Tea Owls is my favorite creation and quickly became the Oolong Owl mascot. I have a new crochet doll coming out this summer that is going to be featured in the Seattle yarn shop crawl!

4) Do you have a favorite owl that you've made before?

I have so many favorite owls! There are a few Tea Owls that I feel a special connection with as it was some of my first yarns I spun on my spinning wheel. I love my Thrawn Owl, which is based on my favorite Star Wars character. Though I will give the best owl award to Black Tea Owl - I dyed the yarn with rose congu black tea. He smelled lovely for a few months and I cannot resist having him join me for black tea drinking sessions.

5) Do you have a favorite owl?

It is a tie between the Spotted Owl (a local PNW owl) and Northern White Face Scops Owl (aka, Transformer Owl). The former is where the owl obsession started - I got a cool plushie of a Spotted Owl and fell in love with owls. The Transformer Owl is just so cool, check them out on Youtube!

6) What does your personal tea ritual look like?

My tea ritual starts with lazy / grandpa style black tea, matcha, or both if I am tired. I then have another round of matcha as a preworkout. Around 2 or 3pm, I sit down and do gongfu style, either for myself or to drink for my blog. My guilty tea pleasure is in the evening when I have iced hibiscus or Harney and Son's decaf Paris. When I leave the house, I take a thermos of shou, aged white, black, or oolong with me.

7) What is your current favorite tea? (if it's possible to choose)

My answer can change multiple times a day, but right now it is Wuyi Origin's Shuixian white.