I have a mild obsession with all those wonderful self-striping yarns with long stretches of color, like Noro.

A successful design for these yarns keeps the stitchwork simple and lets the colors show off. The pattern used here causes the rows to scallop, making lovely wavy stripes.

There are two versions of this design: a rectangular scarf and a semi-circular shawl.

The scarf is a terrific first lace project – there’s only one pattern row, with a simple 12-stitch repeat.

The shawl is a great next step: the construction is a little bit more challenging, but very rewarding.

Don’t be afraid of the fineness of the yarn and needles - this is really no more work than a pair of socks, and much easier to show off. (And you can always use thicker yarn if you want a bigger finished project!)

In both cases, the patterning is very straightforward and easily memorized for a good travel project.

The pattern notes provide instructions on proper finishing and blocking, and I’ve included details on my favourite stretchy bind-off for lace to ensure the semi-circular shawl looks its best.

Both designs use a single ball of yarn, keeping the price low and the project reasonably fast.