EACH day, the postman delivers scores of packets to Alison Murray's house in Bideford. The squishy, soft parcels once opened reveal sea creatures, lighthouses, deep sea divers and RNLI crew members — all of which have been knitted.

Alison, a textile artist, is the mastermind behind a wacky woolly installation which is to be premiered at Appledore Arts Festival in June. And it would seem everyone from novice knitters to seasoned stitchers have been inspired to join in the project, which is called Above And Below Waves.

So far, more than 2,000 knitters from around the globe have sent in their watery woolly creations and it's not just knitting clubs and schools in the UK who have been busy with their needles and yarns. Alison has also received parcels from as far away as Cyprus, Hong Kong and the USA.

"People, who are on holiday, sometimes drop them off from places like Northampton and Kent so it comes by hand delivery as well," said Alison who is compiling the installation at the former Grenville College.

"I've had some fantastic knitting from all across the UK and abroad. I was sent a beautiful Lundy puffin which came all the way from Hong Kong after a lady, who was born in Barnstaple, saw a feature about me in the Journal."

Perhaps the most extraordinary contribution to the project comes from the world's first extreme knitting club, which has been formed by the Appledore Sub Aqua Club. This small but highly specialised and dedicated group of divers recently held their first underwater knitting session in the seas around Lundy Island.

"They were quite excited about doing it as it had never occurred to them to knit underwater," said Alison. "Whether it's a hobby they are going to continue I can't say but they thought it was a mad idea and said: 'oh yes we'd like to try that'. They are probably the only people in the world who've knitted under water."

Visitors to the knitted installation at Appledore Arts Festival in June will be greeted by Syrene, a beautifully stitched life-size mermaid, who will guide visitors into a unique world where they can walk under a woolly sea. There, among floating seaweed and jellyfish, they will encounter knitted octopuses, crabs and deep sea divers.

"Children will love it," added Alison. "There will be so much for them to see. We've got everything from sandcastles and bucket and spades to donkeys and Punch and Judy. Plus there will be all the sea creatures such as jelly fish, water snakes and more. The cliffs are about 6ft high and they are very dramatic."

Alison's previous projects — an enormous knitted Christmas Tree and Gingerbread House — both attracted international acclaim. With each project she aims to raise money for charity and it's hoped that Above And Below The Waves will raise thousands of pounds for the RNLI's Train One — Save Many campaign.

The installation will also help to celebrate the unique North Devon coastline. Appledore Visual Arts Festival, which this year takes the theme of Coastlines, is a lead event during the 50th anniversary of the North Devon Coast AONB.

● The annual Appledore Visual Arts Festival is a family-friendly event which offers a wide variety of engaging exhibitions, talks, workshops and visual arts activities for people of all ages. This year it runs from Thursday, June 3 to Sunday, June 6.