my first carrots - how do i know when ready

i have a very small tub of carrots - enough for a meal - i can see the tops of the roots poking up form the soil -does this mean they are ready to harvest?

thing is they dont look very 'orange' more pale orange - this is the first time of growing carrots and i dont want to pull them up if they need a little longer

it may seem like a daft question but then i am a bit daft and a newbie to boot  

If they need thinning a little bit more,which can sometimes happen (with me anyway!) take out a few and try them now, leaving the rest in to get a bit bigger in the larger space left

Its what I did last year on my first sowing and the little ones were lovely and sweet and good on a salad too
 

Paula

Sometimes the tops can become discoloured by exposure to sunlight. I have read that green carrot tops are not poisonous (unlike green potatoes) but they are a little offputting so I earth mine up now.

It always surprises me how much top equals how much root on a carrot - As someone else said, a little "thinning" would tell you what size they are!