In response to the RNLI’s campaign ‘Train One, Save Many’ appeal for knitters to take part in a countrywide “Nautical Knit’ members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Exeter, got out their knitting needles.

What resulted was a colourful assortment of octopus, clown fish, mermaids, turtles and other sea creatures all to be sent off as part of a collective exhibition; a walk through knitted aquarium.

Jean Brock, organiser of the Exeter group said; “An added bonus to the work done on the project has been the opportunity to pass on the skill of knitting to the childrens’ group of the church. As many characters, including the pink octopus and turtle dee and turtle dum, were introduced each week to the children they were enthused to persevere with learning to knit.”

“One enthusiastic six year old boy said he wanted to knit a whole shoal of Nemo fishes before realising how long knitting can take. Starting in October and finishing in January he managed part of an octopus leg!”

The display will form part of a walk-through tunnel representing life under and above the sea and will be displayed at the 2010 Creative Stitches and Hobbycrafts event in September. After the event, the exhibition will be traveling around the British Isles fundraising for the RNLI