Anchor Stranded Cotton

121 — Blue Purple Light

Blues family

Looking up Anchor 121? It's Blue Purple Light, a medium blue shade (#686E8C / RGB 104, 110, 140). Scroll down for Crescent Colours, DMC, and Madeira equivalents ranked by visual similarity, plus 8 close Anchor alternatives and curated color harmonies.

Hex
#686E8C
RGB
104, 110, 140
HSL
230°, 15%, 48%
Lab
47.0, 4.8, -17.2
Lightness
48%
Medium
Saturation
15%
Neutral
Hue
230°
Family
Blues

Brand Equivalents for Anchor 121

Top 5 closest matches in each brand, ranked by visual color similarity. How matching works

Anchor 121 Blue Purple Light

Madeira

Blue Violet Light 0902 53% Fair
Delft Dark 0911 48% Fair
Blue Violet Very Dark 2702 38% Fair
Delft Medium 0910 37% Fair
Steel Grey Light 1802 32% Fair

J&P Coates

Cobalt Blue Medium 7022 82% Good
Stormy Blue Very Dark 7150 74% Approx
Sea Blue Medium Dark 7978 53% Fair
Antique Blue Dark 7052 51% Fair
Sapphire Dark 7182 38% Fair

Sullivans

Grey Blue Medium 45475 75% Approx
Cornflower Blue Medium 45204 65% Approx
Steel Grey Dark 45090 62% Fair
Antique Blue Medium 45274 58% Fair
Baby Blue Dark 45063 52% Fair

Cosmo

Cosmo 2028 2028 71% Approx
Cosmo 165A 165A 59% Fair
Cosmo 663 663 59% Fair
Cosmo 554 554 57% Fair
Cosmo 734 734 53% Fair

Classic Colorworks

Hydrangea Hydrangea 79% Approx
Blue Moon Blue Moon 65% Approx
Argyle Socks Argyle Socks 57% Fair
Cashmere Cashmere 54% Fair
Blue Beatrice Blue Beatrice 54% Fair

Weeks Dye Works

Blue Suede 2107a 73% Approx
Dutch Iris 2342 66% Approx
Bluecoat Blue 6550 60% Fair
Periwinkle 2337 56% Fair
Blue Bonnet 2339 55% Fair

Gentle Art Sampler

Blue Jay 0210 79% Approx
Cornflower 0250 75% Approx
Peacock 0910 74% Approx
Midnight 0240 71% Approx
Blueberry 0230 65% Approx

Valdani

Cornflower Blue medium 120 63% Fair
Grey Blue 122 60% Fair
Antique Blue medium 126 57% Fair
Blue Violet medium lt O542 55% Fair
Steel Grey light O120 44% Fair

Crescent Colours

Blueberry Tart 033 75% Approx
Smoke 039 71% Approx
Vintage Violet 045 70% Approx
Deep Blue Sea 065 67% Approx
Blue Beatrice 132 59% Fair

Similar Anchor Colors to 121

Closest Anchor threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.

Color Harmonies for Anchor 121

Anchor threads that pair well with 121, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.

Complementary
Opposite on the color wheel — maximum contrast
Analogous
Adjacent hues — smooth, natural transitions
Triadic
Evenly spaced at 120° — vibrant and balanced
Monochromatic
Same hue, different lightness — great for shading

Blues Family

Anchor 121 in context with nearby shades from the blues color family.

About Anchor 121

Blue Purple Light (catalog code Anchor 121) is a medium, subdued shade from the blues family with true blue tones. Expect a steady and quiet look that suits water, denim textures, and similar motifs. Cross stitch enthusiasts often reach for this thread when stitching cool-toned backgrounds or nautical themes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What color is Anchor 121?

Anchor 121 is called Blue Purple Light. It's a medium blue shade (hex #686E8C, RGB 104, 110, 140) in the blues family, commonly used for whale designs, sapphire accents, and similar motifs.

What's the closest DMC match for Anchor 121?

The closest DMC match for Anchor 121 (Blue Purple Light) is DMC 160 (Grey Blue medium) with a 77% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include DMC 793 (Cornflower Blue medium, 63%) and DMC 414 (Steel Grey dark, 63%).

What's a good substitute for Anchor 121?

The closest Anchor threads to 121 are 977 Blue Medium (ΔE 6.8), 939 Blue Grey (ΔE 6.81), and 131 Sky Blue Medium (ΔE 7.24). These are useful substitutes when 121 is unavailable or for building gradients.

What projects use Anchor 121?

Cross-stitchers pull Anchor 121 (Blue Purple Light) for charts featuring whale designs, sapphire accents, porcelain patterns, hydrangea blooms. The medium tone reads cleanly on its own and slots into multi-color palettes — see the color harmonies below for pairing ideas.