Anchor Stranded Cotton

42 — Rose Very Dark

Reds family

Below: Anchor 42 (Rose Very Dark), a medium, moderately saturated red shade with hex #BB4059 and RGB 187, 64, 89. Find its closest Gentle Art Sampler, Valdani, and Crescent Colours matches ranked by visual similarity, plus 8 similar Anchor shades and a full set of color harmony picks.

Hex
#BB4059
RGB
187, 64, 89
HSL
348°, 49%, 49%
Lab
45.6, 51.2, 12.8
Lightness
49%
Medium
Saturation
49%
Muted
Hue
348°
Family
Reds

Brand Equivalents for Anchor 42

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

Anchor 42 Rose Very Dark

Madeira

Baby Pink Very Dark 0506 94% Good
Antique Plum Medium 2609 80% Good
Salmon Dark 0406 78% Approx
Rose Dark 0410 68% Approx
Baby Pink Dark 0505 65% Approx

J&P Coates

Peony Medium 3071 93% Good
Terra Cotta Medium Dark 2326 78% Approx
Crimson Red 3046 76% Approx
Carmine Rose Medium 3284 76% Approx
Terra Cotta Dark 3340 74% Approx

Sullivans

Dusty Rose Very Dark 45369 81% Good
Shell Pink Light 45045 76% Approx
Cyclamen Pink Dark 45401 74% Approx
Cranberry Dark 45136 73% Approx
Mauve 45356 68% Approx

Cosmo

Cosmo 106 106 83% Good
Cosmo 2242 2242 81% Good
Cosmo 2115 2115 73% Approx
Cosmo 3115 3115 72% Approx
Cosmo 240 240 72% Approx

Classic Colorworks

Cayenne Cayenne 65% Approx
Ripe Melon Ripe Melon 63% Fair
Strawberry Parfait Strawberry Parfait 61% Fair
Orangena Orangena 61% Fair
Prickly Pear Prickly Pear 57% Fair

Weeks Dye Works

Begonia 2263 82% Good
Romance 2274 77% Approx
Sedona (obsolete) 2261 73% Approx
Strawberry Fields 2265 70% Approx
Camellia 2276 61% Fair

Gentle Art Sampler

Cranberry 0360 81% Good
Currant 0312 76% Approx
Claret 0310 59% Fair
Cherry Bark 1120 53% Fair
Cherry Wine 0330 52% Fair

Valdani

Raspberry medium M66 83% Good
Cranberry dark M14 76% Approx
Mauve 54 73% Approx
Rose O520 72% Approx
Shell Pink light 160 67% Approx

Crescent Colours

Prickly Pear 025 79% Approx
Cerise 008 66% Approx
Cherry Tomato 034 62% Fair
Carrie Berry 051 62% Fair
Ripe Melon 026 58% Fair

Similar Anchor Colors to 42

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

Color Harmonies for Anchor 42

Anchor threads that pair well with 42, 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

Reds Family

Anchor 42 in context with nearby shades from the reds color family.

About Anchor 42

Anchor 42 (Rose Very Dark) is a medium, moderately saturated shade in the reds family with warm crimson tones. The rich and warm mood of this color makes it a natural fit for tomato patterns and roses. Expect to see it used in hearts and holiday designs across many cross-stitch charts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Anchor 42 look like?

Anchor 42 (Rose Very Dark) is a medium shade in the reds family with hex #BB4059 and RGB 187, 64, 89. Stitchers reach for it in projects featuring poppies and cardinal birds.

Which DMC thread matches Anchor 42?

The closest DMC match for Anchor 42 (Rose Very Dark) is DMC 3731 (Dusty Rose very dark) with a 91% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include DMC 3832 (Raspberry medium, 83%) and DMC 601 (Cranberry dark, 76%).

What Anchor colors are similar to 42?

The closest Anchor threads to 42 are 38 Dusty Pink (ΔE 1.82), 35 Pink Bright Dark (ΔE 3.9), and 41 Rose Dark (ΔE 4.51). These are useful substitutes when 42 is unavailable or for building gradients.

When should I use Anchor 42?

Reach for Anchor 42 (Rose Very Dark) when your project calls for poppies, cardinal birds, apple motifs, ladybug designs. Its medium character carries both small accents and wider palette work; the harmony picks on this page show natural companions to 42.