Kamibashi’s String Doll Gang keeps growing

Latchkey kids, backpack wearers and adults with a sense of humor may delight in the String Doll Gang, a collection of handmade key chain characters. The gang’s ever-growing numbers near 100 and include Ninjette, left, who comes with her own nunchucks; the rocker E-Moe, center; and the baguette-toting Some French Guy. They are imported from Thailand by Kamibashi, a firm founded by North Carolina-based Kristen and Chris Daniels, who met many of the artisans they now employ while teaching English in Kyoto, Japan. The String Doll Gang members can be apprehended for $10.95 each at the Craft and Folk Art Museum, 5814 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles; (323) 937-4230; www.kamibashi.com.

-- David A. Keeps