Saltmarsh is inspired by the mud and salt marshes around the Colne and Blackwater estuaries that meet at Mersea Island in Essex. This area of bleak tranquility is home to a great variety of wildlife, from wading birds to moths and samphire, but this design draws on the patterns left in the mud as the tide recedes. Saltmarsh uses both knit and crochet to create texture. Firstly, the aran-weight base is knitted in the round, then this is overlaid with an easy crochet lace pattern in 4ply.

The Strood is a causeway that links Mersea Island to mainland Essex. It was constructed in AD 684-702 by the Anglo-Saxons. At especially high tide it is covered by salt water, completely cutting off the island and causing mayhem to all but the most foolhardy of travellers. So we have a central panel with, on one side, the creeks in the muddy salt marsh, and on the other, the fast flowing rising waters. Will you get to the end in time? Knitted in 3 shades of DK.

Polders, or brushwood breakwaters have been installed at East Mersea in Essex to trap sediment, creating more salt marshes. The marshes will encourage birds and other wildlife, and will also slow down erosion of the coastline. Polder, in aran yarn, is knitted lengthways, starts with a provisional cast-on, and is joined by Kitchener stitch. The Polder pattern is a variation of the Estonian braid, set into a stocking stitch background. The edging is knitted in the round from picked-up stitches.

The inspiration for Oysterbeds comes from the native oysters that have been harvested off the coast of Mersea Island in Essex since Roman times. Naturally-growing oysters attach themselves to old oyster shells, forming clusters and reefs. An oyster-patterned modular cowl in aran-weight yarn. Each shell is worked onto the previous two and the top edge is k1, p1 rib, knitted in the round. Don’t be put off by the unusual construction – it’s far easier to knit than it looks.