Anchor Stranded Cotton

43 — Garnet Medium

Reds family

Anchor 43 (Garnet Medium) is a medium-dark, vivid red shade with hex code #882639 and RGB values 136, 38, 57. Below you'll find the closest Valdani, Crescent Colours, and DMC equivalents — ranked by visual color similarity — plus 8 similar Anchor shades and color harmony pairings.

Hex
#882639
RGB
136, 38, 57
HSL
348°, 56%, 34%
Lab
31.6, 42.7, 12.5
Lightness
34%
Dark
Saturation
56%
Rich
Hue
348°
Family
Reds

Brand Equivalents for Anchor 43

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

Anchor 43 Garnet Medium

Sullivans

Mauve Medium Dark 45400 78% Approx
Shell Pink Dark 45365 76% Approx
Shell Pink Medium 45366 72% Approx
Dusty Rose Ultra Dark 45346 72% Approx
Antique Mauve Dark 45367 71% Approx

Crescent Colours

Razzleberry 161 86% Good
Bandana 094 86% Good
Apple Fritter 091 82% Good
Bing Cherry 151 76% Approx
Cupid 012 72% Approx

Similar Anchor Colors to 43

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

Anchor 43 Garnet Medium
Dusty Pink Dark Anchor 39 Near identical ΔE 1.58 Garnet Dark Anchor 44 Near identical ΔE 1.86 Dusty Rose Dark Anchor 1025 Very close ΔE 3.95 Garnet Light Anchor 20 Close ΔE 5.01 Garnet Very Dark Anchor 45 Close ΔE 5.12 Garnet Anchor 22 Noticeable ΔE 6.32 Pink Mauve Ultra Very Dark Anchor 59 Noticeable ΔE 6.62 Shell Pink Anchor 896 Noticeable ΔE 6.85

Working with Anchor 43

On white fabric
8.8:1
On dark fabric
2.4:1
Temperature
warm
Closest to
crimson

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

Blending & gradients

Anchor 43 (Garnet Medium) sits a hair from Anchor 39 (Dusty Pink Dark) (ΔE 1.58) — close enough to blend a strand of each for a smooth gradient or to swap one for the other in a pinch.

Color Harmonies for Anchor 43

Anchor threads that pair well with 43, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.

Complementary
Opposite on the color wheel — maximum contrast
43
188 Turquoise Dark
Analogous
Adjacent hues — smooth, natural transitions
43
1004 Orange Spice Very Dark 78 Plum Medium Dark
Triadic
Evenly spaced at 120° — vibrant and balanced
43
229 Christmas Green Dark 162 Baby Blue Very Dark
Monochromatic
Same hue, different lightness — great for shading
43
38 Dusty Pink 1022 Dusty Rose Light 24 Baby Pink Light

Reds Family

Anchor 43 in context with nearby shades from the reds color family.

43 Garnet Medium 43 1007 Flesh Very Dark 1007 13 Coral Dark 13 39 Dusty Pink Dark 39 1025 Dusty Rose Dark 1025 44 Garnet Dark 44 1015 Mahogany Ultra Very Dark 1015 20 Garnet Light 20 47 Christmas Red 47 896 Shell Pink 896 972 Dusty Violet Very Dark 972

About Anchor 43

Meet Anchor 43, Garnet Medium — a vivid, medium-dark thread in the reds family with warm crimson tones. Its intense and saturated presence shines in roses and hearts alike. Pull this thread for holiday designs or bold accents when you need a dependable shade.

Frequently Asked Questions

Anchor 43 — what color is it?

The color of Anchor 43 is Garnet Medium — a medium-dark red thread (hex #882639, RGB 136, 38, 57). It shows up most in cardinal birds and apple motifs.

What is the DMC equivalent of Anchor 43?

The closest DMC match for Anchor 43 (Garnet Medium) is DMC 3721 (Shell Pink dark) with a 88% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include DMC 150 (Dusty Rose ultra very dark, 85%) and DMC 816 (Garnet, 82%).

Which Anchor threads are close to 43?

The closest Anchor threads to 43 are 39 Dusty Pink Dark (ΔE 1.58), 44 Garnet Dark (ΔE 1.86), and 1025 Dusty Rose Dark (ΔE 3.95). These are useful substitutes when 43 is unavailable or for building gradients.

What is Anchor 43 good for?

Anchor 43 (Garnet Medium) is commonly used in cross-stitch projects featuring cardinal birds, apple motifs, ladybug designs, barn scenes. Its medium-dark tone works well for standalone motifs and as part of larger palettes. This page includes color harmonies and similar shades to pair with 43.

What fabric color works best with Anchor 43 (Garnet 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, 43 has a contrast ratio of about 8.8:1 on white fabric and 2.4:1 on black. As a warm shade, its warm cast advances toward the viewer — good for focal points, highlights, and cozy, inviting palettes.

Anchor Color Chart DMC ↔ Anchor Conversion