Anchor Stranded Cotton

261 — Laurel Green Medium

Greens family#A5B087

Anchor 261 — Laurel Green Medium — has hex #A5B087 and RGB 165, 176, 135. This medium-light, muted green thread sits alongside its closest DMC, Madeira, and J&P Coates matches below, with 8 similar Anchor shades and a panel of color harmonies for palette planning.

Hex
#A5B087
RGB
165, 176, 135
HSL
76°, 21%, 61%
Lab
70.0, -11.0, 19.8
Lightness
61%
Light
Saturation
21%
Neutral
Hue
76°
Family
Greens

About Anchor 261

Anchor Stranded Cotton Mouliné

Fiber
100% cotton
Sold as
8 m

Brand Equivalents for Anchor 261

The five closest matches in each brand, ranked by CIEDE2000 perceptual color difference.

Anchor 261Laurel Green Medium

Similar Anchor Colors to 261

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

Working with Anchor 261

On white fabric
2.3:1
On dark fabric
9.2:1
Temperature
soft cool
Closest to
khaki

It has moderate contrast on both light and dark fabric — usable on either, but test a few stitches on your chosen ground first.

Color Harmonies for Anchor 261

Anchor threads that pair well with 261, 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

Greens Family

Anchor261 in context with nearby shades from the greens color family.

About Anchor 261

A medium-light, muted entry in the greens family, Anchor 261 carries the name Laurel Green Medium with yellow-green tones. Its tone is gentle and grounded, making it a popular choice for moss textures and avocado themes. It pairs nicely in designs that call for foliage or nature scenes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What color is Anchor 261?

Anchor 261 is called Laurel Green Medium. It's a medium-light green shade (hex #A5B087, RGB 165, 176, 135) in the greens family, commonly used for herb gardens, forest canopies, and similar motifs.

What's the closest DMC match for Anchor 261?

The closest DMC match for Anchor 261 (Laurel Green Medium) is DMC 524 (Fern Green very light) with a 75% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include DMC 3013 (Khaki Green light, 62%) and DMC 523 (Fern Green light, 62%).

What's a good substitute for Anchor 261?

The closest Anchor threads to 261 are 265 Avocado Green Very Light (ΔE 4.82), 858 Fern Green Very Light (ΔE 4.99), and 214 Misty Green Very Light (ΔE 5.71). These are useful substitutes when 261 is unavailable or for building gradients.

What projects use Anchor 261?

Cross-stitchers pull Anchor 261 (Laurel Green Medium) for charts featuring herb gardens, forest canopies, cactus motifs, shamrock designs. The medium-light tone reads cleanly on its own and slots into multi-color palettes — see the color harmonies below for pairing ideas.

What fabric color works best with Anchor 261 (Laurel Green Medium)?

It has moderate contrast on both light and dark fabric — usable on either, but test a few stitches on your chosen ground first. For reference, 261 has a contrast ratio of about 2.3:1 on white fabric and 9.2:1 on black. As a soft cool shade, its cool cast recedes visually — useful for backgrounds, shadows, water and sky, and calm, restful palettes.