Pants are done and new yarn lives here now

Finally I got to cast something off last night! I have been spread a bit too thin lately, with all the projects going on. Working on several things a night has made a bit of progress on everything, without getting anything completed. So I resisted casting on anything new and just worked on these pants:


Not starting anything new was especially hard to do after my recent trip to ThreadBear Fiber Arts Studio in Lansing, MI. I felt a bit dizzy walking around in there, surrounded by so much yarn. There were people knitting everywhere you looked, and treats, coffee, dogs... it was amazing. My husband will be surprised to find me asking to go visit his mom, since she lives near the store. It was difficult to narrow down my selections, but I manage to only take home this:

Mountain Colors alpaca blend (50% alpaca, 50% wool) in Bitterroot Rainbow, with which I plan to make another pair of pants for Marty, and this:
Lorna's Laces shepherd worsted, a bulky worsted weight in colors that make me so happy. The reds are difficult to photograph so trust me when I say this is bright and cheery in red, purple, and orange. It's a superwash wool that will someday be a sweater. You can see I already cast on a swatch. I love how it knits up on my size 9 Lantern Moon needles. I am trying to design my own sweater pattern to make a cardigan for a friend's 3-year-old son.

Should I be concerned at all that more yarn is coming in than is being knitted and going out? I was showing someone my swift the other day and actually forgot an entire basket of hanks that could have been used to demo the swift. That's a bit disconcerting. I do have things in mind for all this yarn; I just need more time to knit!