168 — Pewter very light
Light Grays family#ABB3B7
DMC 168 (Pewter very light) is a medium-light, subdued light gray shade with hex code #ABB3B7 and RGB values 171, 179, 183. Below you'll find the closest Valdani, Crescent Colors, and Anchor equivalents — ranked by visual color similarity — plus 8 similar DMC shades and color harmony pairings.
About DMC 168
DMC Six-Strand Embroidery Floss (Mouliné Spécial)
- Also sold as
- Metallic Town Mouse grey
- Fiber
- 100% cotton
- Strands
- 6 strands
- Sold as
- 8 m skein
Brand Equivalents for DMC 168
The five closest matches in each brand, ranked by CIEDE2000 perceptual color difference.
Anchor
Madeira
J&P Coates
Sullivans
Classic Colorworks
Weeks Dye Works
Gentle Art Sampler
Valdani
Crescent Colors
Closest match to DMC 168 in 67 more brands
The single nearest shade in every other palette we hold, from needlepoint silks and wools to fuse beads and yarn. Match quality is perceptual color distance: 93% and up is hard to tell apart, under 75% is a visible shift.
More stranded cotton
Hand-dyed & overdyed
Silk
Wool for needlepoint
Metallic, rayon & specialty
Other threads & beads
Fuse beads
Yarn for crochet & knitting
Need the runners-up, or a whole pattern converted? The thread conversion chart ranks every alternative for DMC 168 (Pewter very light) in any brand.
Similar DMC Colors to 168
Closest DMC threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.
Working with DMC 168
It has moderate contrast on both light and dark fabric — usable on either, but test a few stitches on your chosen ground first.
DMC 168 in other DMC lines
DMC reuses base numbers across its specialty lines, so the same shade can exist as a satin, a metallic, or a sparkle floss under a prefixed code. Here is where Pewter very light turns up.
Diamond painting: the same number is sold as a drill — Diamond Dotz D168, Diamond Drills USA DMC168. A kit legend or drill bag marked 168 means this color. See the diamond painting DMC chart for every code with drill availability.
Color Harmonies for DMC 168
DMC threads that pair well with 168, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.
Light Grays Family
DMC168 in context with nearby shades from the light grays color family.
About DMC 168
DMC 168 is the floss known as Pewter very light: a subdued, medium-light member of the light grays family. Its balanced and quiet presence shines in mouse designs and concrete textures alike. Pull this thread for dusty surface highlights or pewter motifs when you need a dependable shade.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does DMC 168 look like?
DMC 168 (Pewter very light) is a medium-light shade in the light grays family with hex #ABB3B7 and RGB 171, 179, 183. Stitchers reach for it in projects featuring stone textures and fog and mist.
Which Anchor thread matches DMC 168?
The closest Anchor match for DMC 168 (Pewter very light) is Anchor 849 (Grey Blue Medium) with a 86% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include Anchor 343 (Antique Blue Light, 80%) and Anchor 848 (Grey Blue Light, 75%).
What DMC colors are similar to 168?
The closest DMC threads to 168 are 02 Tin (ΔE 4.31), 928 Grey Green very light (ΔE 4.62), and 3752 Antique Blue very light (ΔE 4.97). These are useful substitutes when 168 is unavailable or for building gradients.
When should I use DMC 168?
Reach for DMC 168 (Pewter very light) when your project calls for stone textures, fog and mist, silver accents, marble patterns. Its medium-light character carries both small accents and wider palette work; the harmony picks on this page show natural companions to 168.
What fabric color works best with DMC 168 (Pewter very light)?
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, 168 has a contrast ratio of about 2.1:1 on white fabric and 9.9:1 on black. As a neutral shade, as a near-neutral, it plays quietly with almost any palette and works well as a background or shading tone.
Does DMC 168 come in a satin, metallic, or Étoile version?
Yes. The same number is made as DMC Light Effects E168. The base shade is matched across the lines, but the fiber changes the look: Satin is a high-sheen rayon, Light Effects is a metallic polyester most people blend one strand at a time, and Étoile is cotton with a sparkle filament that stitches like ordinary floss.
What is the diamond painting drill code for DMC 168?
Diamond Dotz D168 and Diamond Drills USA DMC168 carry the same number. Diamond painting adopted DMC's numbering, so a kit legend or drill bag marked 168 is this color regardless of drill brand — though each manufacturer dyes to the reference in its own batches, so avoid mixing brands inside one large block.
Which other thread brands come closest to DMC 168?
Outside the main floss brands, the nearest shades we hold are Kreinik 014I Sky Blue Iron-On (97%), Caron 7046 Clear Blue (96%), PNK Kirov 7201 (95%). Percentages are perceptual color distance between the two swatches; anything above about 93% is hard to tell apart on fabric.