Anchor Stranded Cotton

856 — Yellow Green Medium

Yellows family

Need details on Anchor 856? This dark, moderately saturated yellow shade (Yellow Green Medium) is hex #484020, RGB 72, 64, 32. Cross-brand equivalents in Weeks Dye Works, Gentle Art Sampler, and Valdani are listed below — ranked by perceptual similarity — alongside 8 nearby Anchor shades and color-theory harmony pairings.

Hex

#484020

RGB

72, 64, 32

HSL

48°, 38%, 20%

Lab

27.2, -1.6, 20.7

Lightness

20%

Dark

Saturation

38%

Muted

Hue

48°

Family

Yellows

Brand Equivalents for Anchor 856

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

Anchor 856 Yellow Green Medium

Sullivans

Khaki Green Dark 45316 82% Good

Olive Green Very Dark 45174 77% Approx

Brown Grey Dark 45395 72% Approx

Green Grey Dark 45331 71% Approx

Avocado Green Very Dark 45278 71% Approx

Cosmo

370 83% Good 718 77% Approx 369 69% Approx 686 69% Approx 687 68% Approx

Classic Colorworks

Pea Pod 90% Good Bean Sprout 81% Good Pine Needles 80% Good Hayride 59% Fair Polliwog 57% Fair

Weeks Dye Works

Bark 1271 83% Good Havana 1230 69% Approx Collards 1277 63% Fair Blue Spruce 1276 56% Fair River Rock 1288 56% Fair

Gentle Art Sampler

Green Tea Leaf 0195 38% Fair Storm Clouds 0981 27% Fair Moss 0194 26% Fair Dragonfly 0960 21% Fair Fisherman's Wharf 1190 19% Fair

Valdani

Olive Green very dark 153 72% Approx Green Grey dark 190 59% Fair Pine Green dark 191 54% Fair Avocado Green dark 199 51% Fair Brown Grey dark P9 51% Fair

Crescent Colours

Steamed Broccoli 181 63% Fair

English Ivy 179 60% Fair

Balsam Fir 157 57% Fair

Camouflage 063 56% Fair

Spinach 029 48% Fair

Similar Anchor Colors to 856

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

Anchor 856 Yellow Green Medium

Khaki Green Medium Dark Anchor 845 Near identical ΔE 2.23 Yellow Green Dark Anchor 281 Very close ΔE 3.87 Yellow Green Very Dark Anchor 924 Very close ΔE 4.53 Green Grey Anchor 681 Noticeable ΔE 5.84 Khaki Green Medium Anchor 844 Noticeable ΔE 8.12 Khaki Green Dark Anchor 846 Noticeable ΔE 8.77 Avocado Green Dark Anchor 268 Noticeable ΔE 9.31 Laurel Green Dark Anchor 262 Noticeable ΔE 9.6

Working with Anchor 856

On white fabric

10.3:1

On dark fabric

2:1

Temperature

warm

Closest to

charcoal

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 856 (Yellow Green Medium) sits a hair from Anchor 845 (Khaki Green Medium Dark) (ΔE 2.23) — 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 856

Anchor threads that pair well with 856, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.

Complementary

Opposite on the color wheel — maximum contrast

856

851 Grey Blue Ultra Very Dark

Analogous

Adjacent hues — smooth, natural transitions

856

245 Pistachio Green Dark 904 Brown Grey Medium

Triadic

Evenly spaced at 120° — vibrant and balanced

856

1068 Teal 872 Antique Violet Medium Dark

Monochromatic

Same hue, different lightness — great for shading

856

854 Avocado Light 887 Yellow Beige Medium 276 Coffee Ultra Very Light

Yellows Family

Anchor 856 in context with nearby shades from the yellows color family.

856 Yellow Green Medium 856 280 Yellow Green 280 844 Khaki Green Medium 844 255 Forest Green Light 255 256 Forest Green Medium 256 845 Khaki Green Medium Dark 845 257 Forest Green Dark 257 281 Yellow Green Dark 281 681 Green Grey 681 924 Yellow Green Very Dark 924 258 Forest Green Very Dark 258

About Anchor 856

Meet Anchor 856, Yellow Green Medium — a moderately saturated, dark thread in the yellows family with warm gold tones. Stitchers describe its character as strong and confident, perfect for sunflowers and highlights. It blends comfortably into projects centered on warm backgrounds and golden accents.

Frequently Asked Questions

Anchor 856 — what color is it?

The color of Anchor 856 is Yellow Green Medium — a dark yellow thread (hex #484020, RGB 72, 64, 32). It shows up most in daffodils and lemon motifs.

What is the DMC equivalent of Anchor 856?

The closest DMC match for Anchor 856 (Yellow Green Medium) is DMC 936 (Avocado Green very dark) with a 74% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include DMC 730 (Olive Green very dark, 72%) and DMC 3051 (Green Grey dark, 59%).

Which Anchor threads are close to 856?

The closest Anchor threads to 856 are 845 Khaki Green Medium Dark (ΔE 2.23), 281 Yellow Green Dark (ΔE 3.87), and 924 Yellow Green Very Dark (ΔE 4.53). These are useful substitutes when 856 is unavailable or for building gradients.

What is Anchor 856 good for?

Anchor 856 (Yellow Green Medium) is commonly used in cross-stitch projects featuring daffodils, lemon motifs, rubber duck designs, bumblebee patterns. Its dark tone works well for standalone motifs and as part of larger palettes. This page includes color harmonies and similar shades to pair with 856.

What fabric color works best with Anchor 856 (Yellow 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, 856 has a contrast ratio of about 10.3:1 on white fabric and 2:1 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