Golden Flower Shawl to Knit

I am a big fan of Chinese film, and Curse of the Golden Flower, written and directed by Zhang Yimou and released in 2006, is a favorite. It’s the story of a royal family in turmoil, fighting over the throne. The emperor wishes for his eldest son, the crown prince, from his first marriage to succeed him. The empress wants her eldest, the second son, to inherit the throne. The empress has been having an affair with the crown prince, which her younger son has knowledge of and hopes to exploit in his own attempt to gain the title. In preparation for an attempt at a military coup by her eldest son during the Chrysanthemum Festival, the Empress sews a chrysanthemum for each of her troops to wear so that they recognize each other. This circular shawl with a chrysanthemum as the main motif is my tribute to this brilliant film and to the lovely chrysanthemum.

Detail of Katrina King’s Golden Flower Shawl, highlighting the chrysanthemum motif.