Author | Youth Daily And Youth Shanghai reporter Yang Lijia
recently
Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
The award element was officially released
The bouquet of awards for the Winter Olympics
By the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics
Official sponsor provided by Hengyuanxiang Group
The art of weaving and knotting with haipai velvet thread, an intangible cultural heritage
Crocheted
The Winter Olympics awards bouquet includes
Roses, Moon Season, Bell Orchid, Hydrangea, Laurel and Olive
There are 6 kinds of flowers that symbolize beautiful things, each symbolizing
Fraternity, tenacity, happiness, unity, triumph and peace
In a bouquet of Winter Paralympic awards
A blue cosmos has been added to symbolize strength
The flowers are shaped and bundled into bouquets
Height 34 cm, chest diameter 24 cm
Bow ribbon on the bouquet handle
The words "BEIJING2022" are printed
Knotting is one of the oldest handicrafts of mankind. More than 100 years ago, the art of velvet weaving entered China's coastal cities from Europe. In 2009, the "Haipai Velvet Thread Weaving Technique" was included in the list of representative items of Shanghai Intangible Cultural Heritage by the municipal government.
It takes 20 minutes to knot a rose petal, a rose consists of 10 petals, plus 3 leaves and flower stems, and a rose alone requires at least 5 hours for a knottizer. Also, because the flowers are different and the techniques are different, it takes up to 35 hours to complete a beautiful bouquet.
The Beijing Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games awards shared 1251 bouquets, accumulating a total of 16731 flowers, so the production time of all bouquets will be close to 50,000 hours.
Li Meimei is one of the leaders of the bouquet knitting project of this Winter Olympics
After learning of the official announcement of the award of the bouquet
Li Meimei said that this is her "dream moment"
"I can guarantee that every bouquet of flowers is flawless"
It is reported that in order to complete this glorious and arduous task
Hengyuanxiang Group supports the All-China Women's Federation and other organizations
Launch Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and other provinces and cities
Seven knotted societies participated in the bouquet project
Li Mei is mainly responsible for awarding bouquets
Design, training, quality control and final assembly
In terms of the design and production of the award bouquet
Inspiration beauty is unique:
“
Now most of the crochets that everyone uses on the market are thick lines, which are fast in crocheting, but the final effect is relatively rough. Slow work can only produce fine work, so I finally chose thin lines. Although it takes more time and effort to use a thin line, the bouquet of flowers hooked out is more delicate and more realistic, which I think is still worth it.
Because of the impact of the epidemic
Li Meimei was unable to go to the local knitting agencies for on-site training
This can only be done through video recording and online classes
In the end, 16,731 flowers from all over the world were collected
Hengyuanxiang Company located in Shanghai
And this more than 10,000 flowers
Each one must be repeatedly inspected and verified by Li Mei
At the beginning, the flowers that were summarized were more or less problematic, so I took them home and took them apart and re-crocheted them. However, after a long period of running-in and practice, everyone can now produce very qualified flower materials. I am very grateful to the hand-knitting artists all over the country.
The total length of the flowers varies
The Winter Olympic bouquet has a very strict standard of size
To improve comfort and ornamentation
Li Mei also has her own little tricks
At first, I trimmed the flower branch with pliers, but it was very time-consuming and labor-intensive, and then I applied to the company for a cutting machine, which greatly improved my work efficiency. I did not waste the cut branches, originally our whole bouquet is actually thin to hold, I will prune the flower branches and then fill in, so that the athletes hold the bouquet feel better, but also greatly save material.
From quality inspection, pruning of flowers and branches to final assembly
Since receiving the assignment
Li Mei did not have a day off
More than ten thousand flowers, each of which had to pass through my hand, and all I could guarantee now was that every bouquet of flowers was flawless. The shape sent to the athletes is exactly the same as it is now.
After retirement, he devoted himself to velvet weaving
The reporter learned
Li Mei is already 70 years old
This is her twentieth year in the yarn knitting industry
Before that
Li Mei did the work of magazine editing
Because of her interest, after retirement, she began to devote herself to fleece knitting
When it comes to the difference between the two
Li Mei said:
Doing magazines involves interviewing people everywhere and dealing with people. But the knotting of the velvet thread is the complete opposite, and you need to calm down, to be able to sit still, to sink your heart. I think it's also a kind of honing for myself.
Twenty years
Li Meili continues to study and learn with a needle and a thread
Think deeply about the way design is
Change the shape and structure of the flower
Constantly making more artistic and more exquisite works
When I first started making velvet flowers, I started almost from scratch. At that time, I thought, either don't do it, or do it to the best. Now that I'm older, I always have to leave this post one day, which may be the last project I will do, and I feel that I have no regrets in this life.
dialogue
ask
Can you share the original intention of this creation?
answer
Engaged in the weaving of Haipai velvet thread for more than 20 years, I have always hoped that this intangible cultural heritage skill can go international, bring the gift of velvet flower with special significance to the Olympic arena, and offer cultural blessings with Chinese characteristics to the world.
As a non-hereditary heir, do you have any advice for the younger generation?
I am now promoting and disseminating the art of Haipai velvet thread knitting. I hope that the younger generation will pay more attention to our non-genetic inheritance. At the same time, just like our hook flowers, we hope that the younger generation can focus and persevere in the process of growing up to do one thing and strive to achieve their dreams.