Anchor Stranded Cotton

972 — Dusty Violet Very Dark

Reds family

Below: Anchor 972 (Dusty Violet Very Dark), a medium-dark, moderately saturated red shade with hex #682F35 and RGB 104, 47, 53. 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

#682F35

RGB

104, 47, 53

HSL

354°, 38%, 30%

Lab

27.4, 26.2, 8.4

Lightness

30%

Dark

Saturation

38%

Muted

Hue

354°

Family

Reds

Brand Equivalents for Anchor 972

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

Anchor 972 Dusty Violet Very Dark

Sullivans

Antique Mauve Dark 45056 82% Good

Desert Sand Ultra Very Dark 45147 73% Approx

Cocoa 45458 69% Approx

Rosewood Medium 45456 69% Approx

Antique Mauve Very Dark 45399 68% Approx

Cosmo

655 78% Approx 4300 76% Approx 437 75% Approx 435 74% Approx 246 72% Approx

Classic Colorworks

Wild Berries 90% Good Red Currant 75% Approx Licorice Red 72% Approx Used Brick 70% Approx Holly Berry 68% Approx

Weeks Dye Works

Williamsburg Red 3850 88% Good Indian Summer 4121 80% Good Cranberry Ice 1323 78% Approx Boysenberry 1343 76% Approx Crimson 3860 76% Approx

Gentle Art Sampler

Acorn 0111 65% Approx Brown Bear 1191 55% Fair Loganberry 0892 48% Fair French Lilac 8093 27% Fair Witching Hour 0391 27% Fair

Valdani

Antique Mauve dark 883 82% Good Shell Pink very dark O78 79% Approx Rosewood dark M90 73% Approx Rosewood medium 159 67% Approx Garnet dark O503 66% Approx

Crescent Colours

Razzleberry 161 75% Approx

Apple Fritter 091 67% Approx

Bing Cherry 151 67% Approx

Chocolate Cream Pie 009 63% Fair

Bandana 094 59% Fair

Similar Anchor Colors to 972

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

Anchor 972 Dusty Violet Very Dark

Shell Pink Anchor 896 Near identical ΔE 2.3 Antique Mauve Dark Anchor 1019 Very close ΔE 2.78 Garnet Very Dark Anchor 45 Very close ΔE 3.36 Garnet Dark Anchor 44 Noticeable ΔE 5.86 Dusty Pink Dark Anchor 39 Noticeable ΔE 6.98 Antique Mauve Light Anchor 1018 Noticeable ΔE 7.31 Garnet Medium Anchor 43 Noticeable ΔE 7.31 Dusty Rose Dark Anchor 1025 Noticeable ΔE 8.99

Working with Anchor 972

On white fabric

10.3:1

On dark fabric

2:1

Temperature

warm

Closest to

plum

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

Because Anchor 896 (Shell Pink) is so near (ΔE 2.3), the pair makes a natural two-step gradient — handy for shading skin, petals, or skies without a hard seam.

Color Harmonies for Anchor 972

Anchor threads that pair well with 972, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.

Complementary

Opposite on the color wheel — maximum contrast

972

1068 Teal

Analogous

Adjacent hues — smooth, natural transitions

972

357 Chocolate Dark 100 Violet Dark

Triadic

Evenly spaced at 120° — vibrant and balanced

972

245 Pistachio Green Dark 162 Baby Blue Very Dark

Monochromatic

Same hue, different lightness — great for shading

972

1027 Shell Pink Medium Dark 894 Shell Pink Medium Light 23 Baby Pink Very Light

Reds Family

Anchor 972 in context with nearby shades from the reds color family.

972 Dusty Violet Very Dark 972 43 Garnet Medium 43 1015 Mahogany Ultra Very Dark 1015 20 Garnet Light 20 47 Christmas Red 47 896 Shell Pink 896 45 Garnet Very Dark 45 1006 Dusty Rose Very Dark 1006 1019 Antique Mauve Dark 1019 22 Garnet 22 1005 Christmas Red Ultra Very Dark 1005

About Anchor 972

Anchor 972 (Dusty Violet Very Dark) is a medium-dark, moderately saturated shade in the reds family with warm crimson tones. The deep and intense 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 972 look like?

Anchor 972 (Dusty Violet Very Dark) is a medium-dark shade in the reds family with hex #682F35 and RGB 104, 47, 53. Stitchers reach for it in projects featuring poppies and cardinal birds.

Which DMC thread matches Anchor 972?

The closest DMC match for Anchor 972 (Dusty Violet Very Dark) is DMC 3802 (Antique Mauve very dark) with a 86% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include DMC 315 (Antique Mauve dark, 82%) and DMC 221 (Shell Pink very dark, 79%).

What Anchor colors are similar to 972?

The closest Anchor threads to 972 are 896 Shell Pink (ΔE 2.3), 1019 Antique Mauve Dark (ΔE 2.78), and 45 Garnet Very Dark (ΔE 3.36). These are useful substitutes when 972 is unavailable or for building gradients.

When should I use Anchor 972?

Reach for Anchor 972 (Dusty Violet Very Dark) when your project calls for poppies, cardinal birds, apple motifs, ladybug designs. Its medium-dark character carries both small accents and wider palette work; the harmony picks on this page show natural companions to 972.

What fabric color works best with Anchor 972 (Dusty Violet Very Dark)?

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, 972 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