Calliste lives on a small ranch near Valley Center, California. When she's not designing, she does a lot of crochet for charity. Other passions of hers include qi gong, painting, and jigsaw puzzles. Her Grandma Gladys taught her to crochet at the age of 11, and she hasn't stopped since. As a young stay-at-home mother, Calliste developed her skills, and in 1989 submitted her first pattern to Annie’s. Calliste has had many designs published in the following years.

Even novices can make any of these eight adorable animals out of one basic pillow pattern, to please all the little ones in the family. The worsted-weight yarn used is available online, or why not raid your stash? There are full written instructions and face diagrams included in the pattern.