New beginnings

The aforementioned yarn shopping dilemma was resolved last week, when at a knitting conference I was faced with a fabulous marketplace where yarn was on display. I am weak, I admit, but I prepared for the temptation by saving a few dollars just for that event.
Not only did I take a couple classes so that I might move past the novice/beginner phase of knitting, but I shopped as well. The problem is, I did it bass-ackwards.
I was lured by the colors and textures all around me. I was awestruck and dizzy with thousands, maybe millions, of yards of merino, alpaca, cotton and hemp. Bamboo needles, Turbo-addis, handmade stitch markers were closing in all around me, every which way I turned. I felt like Alice caught in some sort of fiber Wonderland, drugged and drunk on color and fleece.
So I did what I assume - and hope - most other beginners do; I bought before I planned. While I suspect the correct way to start a new project is to find something to knit and then purchase the yarn, instead I was tempted by nearly 1,000 yards of rose/mauve alpaca and now I have to find something to do with it. After perusing cardigan patterns for days, I learned that I should have done two things; I should have found my pattern first, or at the very least, bought one more skein - just 300 more yards - of the hand-dyed alpaca yarn.
Needless to say, every pattern that appealed to me so far calls for at least 1,300 yards of fiber. I am one hank short. Upon the realization of my mistake(s), I did what any good knitter would do. I hung my yarn in a tree and took its picture. It doesn't accomplish anything other than to show that spring has sprung in northeast Ohio and pretty yarn looks even prettier in the sunlight, but it made me feel better.
I'll find something. I'm sure of it. In the meantime, I managed to pick up a couple skeins of sock yarn too and those will keep me busy until the perfect pattern comes along for rose/mauve alpaca.