Karabouts started out innocently enough. Kara, a long time crocheter and knitter, wanted to make “amigurumi style” crochet dolls for her triplet nieces and nephew. Kara came up with a basic pattern and began crocheting the triplet dolls. Mike, Kara’s art director husband, was a big part of the process, helping to pick colors and providing sketches for the various accessories and pets to go with each doll.

In just a few weeks the triplet dolls were completed, but the Mike & Kara Amigurumi Design Team had just begun! Mike saw the process as sculpting with yarn and began dreaming up new design ideas and adding twists to Kara’s basic patterns. A sweet little boy doll could easily become a regular at a leather club with just a few changes in costume. With the right hat and some facial hair, a Viking was born. Blue skin, fangs, and layered robes resulted in a Hopping Ghost.

Mike and Kara called the company "Karabouts" because it started with Kara making dolls for people she "cared about."

“It’s all great fun,” says Kara, “and it lets us work together as a creative team.”

Mike adds, “I started out supporting my wife’s interests, and somewhere along the line, decided we could make this more interesting.”