DMC Mouliné Spécial

09 — Very Dark Cocoa

Reds family

Below: DMC 09 (Very Dark Cocoa), a dark, subdued red shade with hex #483837 and RGB 72, 56, 55. Find its closest J&P Coates, Sullivans, and Cosmo matches ranked by visual similarity, plus 8 similar DMC shades and a full set of color harmony picks.

Hex

#483837

RGB

72, 56, 55

HSL

4°, 13%, 25%

Lab

25.2, 6.9, 3.3

Lightness

25%

Dark

Saturation

13%

Neutral

Hue

4°

Family

Reds

Brand Equivalents for DMC 09

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

DMC 09 Very Dark Cocoa

Sullivans

Beaver Grey Ultra Dark 45241 65% Approx

Cocoa Dark 45493 62% Fair

Mocha Brown Dark 45393 62% Fair

Ash Grey Very Light 45121 61% Fair

Beige Brown Dark 45237 61% Fair

Cosmo

311 70% Approx 477 68% Approx 2311 62% Fair 2040 61% Fair 310 60% Fair

Classic Colorworks

Thundercloud 77% Approx Cocoa Bean 76% Approx Rod & Reel 74% Approx River Rocks 67% Approx La Tierra 67% Approx

Weeks Dye Works

Eggplant 1317 72% Approx Swiss Chocolate 1237 70% Approx Molasses 1268 65% Approx Stepping Stone 1289 64% Fair Swamp Water 4129 63% Fair

Gentle Art Sampler

Witching Hour 0391 72% Approx Amethyst 0891 52% Fair Storm Clouds 0981 50% Fair Acorn 0111 45% Fair Loganberry 0892 44% Fair

Valdani

Beige Brown very dark 1644 77% Approx Cocoa dark 171 74% Approx Coffee Brown ultra dk 1645 71% Approx Mocha Brown dark 1643 61% Fair Brown Grey dark P9 57% Fair

Crescent Colours

Cappuccino 007 74% Approx

Wisconsin Woods 114 67% Approx

Chocolate Cream Pie 009 64% Fair

Black Coffee 004 57% Fair

Tartan Plaid 073 48% Fair

Similar DMC Colors to 09

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

DMC 09 Very Dark Cocoa

Beige Brown very dark DMC 838 Very close ΔE 4.56 Cocoa dark DMC 779 Close ΔE 5.1 Beige Brown dark DMC 839 Noticeable ΔE 5.5 Mocha Brown very dark DMC 3031 Noticeable ΔE 5.67 Brown Grey very dark DMC 3021 Noticeable ΔE 5.73 Coffee Brown ultra dark DMC 938 Noticeable ΔE 5.75 Coffee Brown very dark DMC 898 Noticeable ΔE 7.48 Mocha Brown dark DMC 3781 Noticeable ΔE 7.77

Working with DMC 09

On white fabric

11.1:1

On dark fabric

1.9:1

Temperature

soft warm

Closest to

charcoal

It pops on white and light fabric but nearly disappears on black, so pair it with a light or neutral ground.

Color Harmonies for DMC 09

DMC threads that pair well with 09, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.

Complementary

Opposite on the color wheel — maximum contrast

924 Grey Green very dark

Analogous

Adjacent hues — smooth, natural transitions

3021 Brown Grey very dark 779 Cocoa dark

Triadic

Evenly spaced at 120° — vibrant and balanced

935 Avocado Green dark 413 Pewter Grey dark

Monochromatic

Same hue, different lightness — great for shading

451 Shell Grey dark 452 Shell Grey medium 23 Apple Blossom

Reds Family

DMC 09 in context with nearby shades from the reds color family.

09 Very Dark Cocoa 09 400 Mahogany dark 400 221 Shell Pink very dark 221 3802 Antique Mauve very dark 3802 779 Cocoa dark 779 300 Mahogany very dark 300 815 Garnet medium 815 902 Garnet very dark 902 3857 Rosewood dark 3857 814 Garnet dark 814 838 Beige Brown very dark 838

About DMC 09

Meet DMC 09, Very Dark Cocoa — a subdued, dark thread in the reds family with true red tones. The dramatic and quiet character of this shade lends itself well to poppies and cardinal birds. Stitchers frequently choose it for apple motifs and ladybug designs in their projects.

Frequently Asked Questions

DMC 09 — what color is it?

The color of DMC 09 is Very Dark Cocoa — a dark red thread (hex #483837, RGB 72, 56, 55). It shows up most in hearts and holiday designs.

What is the Anchor equivalent of DMC 09?

The closest Anchor match for DMC 09 (Very Dark Cocoa) is Anchor 1086 (Taupe Medium Dark) with a 73% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include Anchor 401 (Shell Grey Very Dark, 72%) and Anchor 936 (Dusty Flesh Very Dark, 66%).

Which DMC threads are close to 09?

The closest DMC threads to 09 are 838 Beige Brown very dark (ΔE 4.56), 779 Cocoa dark (ΔE 5.1), and 839 Beige Brown dark (ΔE 5.5). These are useful substitutes when 09 is unavailable or for building gradients.

What is DMC 09 good for?

DMC 09 (Very Dark Cocoa) is commonly used in cross-stitch projects featuring hearts, holiday designs, bold accents, berries. 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 09.

What fabric color works best with DMC 09 (Very Dark Cocoa)?

It pops on white and light fabric but nearly disappears on black, so pair it with a light or neutral ground. For reference, 09 has a contrast ratio of about 11.1:1 on white fabric and 1.9:1 on black. As a soft warm shade, its warm cast advances toward the viewer — good for focal points, highlights, and cozy, inviting palettes.

DMC Color Chart DMC ↔ Anchor Conversion