Colour numbers & brand conversions
A colour number only means something together with its brand. Number 310 in one brand's range has nothing to do with 310 in another's.
Why Skein Tally has no built-in colour charts
Thread makers publish their own shade cards and colour lists. Skein Tally doesn't copy those charts, swatches or colour values. Screen colours are unreliable anyway: makers and shops warn that on-screen and printed swatches differ from the real thread. You type the brand and number from the skein band or the pattern key, and optionally your own description. Brand names are used only to identify products. Skein Tally is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any thread maker.
Conversions are approximate
Charts that map one brand's numbers to another's are matches by eye or by measured colour, made by whoever published the chart. Shades rarely match exactly, ranges differ in size, and one colour may have no close equivalent. Before substituting:
- Compare physical skeins side by side in daylight, next to the neighbouring colours in the design.
- Be most careful with large areas and subtle gradients.
- Keep the substitute's own brand and number in your stash and shopping list. Skein Tally treats it as a different thread.
Same number, different thread
Within one brand, the same number can exist in different thread types (stranded cotton, perle, variegated, metallic), which have different lengths and coverage. Record the type in your stash. The skein estimates on this site are for six-strand cotton unless you change the skein length and strand settings.
Sources
- DMC, Mouliné Spécial (117) product pages (thread type and skein format).
- Threadalog app listing (notes that displayed thread colours are approximate and to refer to actual samples).
- Lost in Cross Stitch mini book (printed colour blocks vary; numbers are the reliable reference).