Unconfirmed reports of a giant starfish washing up on Scolt Head Island, a sandy spit of land off the Norfolk Coast in England, sent Anita Bruce, a textile artist and amateur zoologist, out combing the shoreline.

Finally, her big break came. “Today, I have made an exceptional discovery in a pile of sea weed and other detritus dragged high up the beach by the fierce tide,” Bruce reported on her blog. “At first glance, it appeared to be just another dumped plastic bag, but closer examination revealed something far more exciting—a patterned structure that seems to be made out of stitches and thread. Could this be part of the famed starfish that I’ve been searching for?” ... (continue reading)