DMC Mouliné Spécial

26 — Pale Lavender

Purples family

DMC 26 — Pale Lavender — has hex #BBB0D1 and RGB 187, 176, 209. This light, muted purple thread sits alongside its closest Classic Colorworks, Weeks Dye Works, and Gentle Art Sampler matches below, with 8 similar DMC shades and a panel of color harmonies for palette planning.

Hex
#BBB0D1
RGB
187, 176, 209
HSL
260°, 26%, 75%
Lab
73.7, 10.3, -15.3
Lightness
75%
Light
Saturation
26%
Muted
Hue
260°
Family
Purples

Brand Equivalents for DMC 26

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

DMC 26Pale Lavender

Closest match to DMC 26 in 43 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 colour distance: 93% and up is hard to tell apart, under 75% is a visible shift.

More stranded cotton

PNK Kirov230290% Good
Ariadna160789% Good
Dimensions6250 Blue Violet medium83% Fair
Luca-S12183% Fair
Riolis54976% Fair
Gamma1095 св.сиреневый68% Approx
Finca2687 Lavender light54% Approx

Hand-dyed & overdyed

Caron6044 Blue Purple88% Good
Needle Necessities517 Glazed Grapes86% Good
Olde Willow066 Gypsy83% Fair
The Gentle Art0870 Sugarplum65% Approx
ThreadworX1125 Arboretum64% Approx
Crescent Colors Silk023 Sweet Lavender61% Approx
Dinky Dyes5 Mulberry Ice45% Approx
The Gentle Art Simply Shaker7012 Picket Fence41% Approx
Classic Colorworks SilkSea Breeze23% Approx

Silk

Soie d'Alger3322 Antique Violet very light65% Approx
Silk and Ivory157 Phlox63% Approx
Eterna Silk2630 Lavender Very Light63% Approx
Kreinik Silk Mori5203 Light Periwinkle59% Approx
Vineyard Silk215 Hush57% Approx
Kimono Silk309 Cherry Blossom57% Approx
YLI Silk230 Light Silver Blue35% Approx

Wool for needlepoint

Appleton461 Cornflower20% Approx

Metallic, rayon & specialty

Rainbow GalleryN98 Lavender lt88% Good
Coats Rayon488 Purple Haze81% Fair
Petite Treasure BraidPB65 Light Violet73% Approx
Kreinik057F Grape65% Approx
Madeira Rayon1232 Violet64% Approx
Anchor Marlitt1007 Purple light58% Approx
Glissen Gloss609 Iridescent Pale Pink28% Approx

Other threads & beads

Coats Puppets8108 8108Puppets62% Approx
Mill Hill Beads2202447% Approx
Planet Earth088 lavender45% Approx
Planet Earth Pepperpot005 mink34% Approx

Fuse beads

HamaH70 Periwinkle78% Fair
Artkal SS33 Maverick78% Fair
CocoJ0674% Approx
MARDD1174% Approx
PerlerP182 Lavender70% Approx

Yarn for crochet & knitting

Bernat Super Value53317 Lilac77% Fair
Caron One Pound10577 Lilac68% Approx
Red Heart Super Saver0115 Light Jasmine58% Approx

Need the runners-up, or a whole pattern converted? The thread conversion chart ranks every alternative for DMC 26 (Pale Lavender) in any brand.

Similar DMC Colors to 26

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

Working with DMC 26

On white fabric
2.1:1
On dark fabric
10.2:1
Temperature
soft cool
Closest to
lavender

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

DMC 26 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 Pale Lavender turns up.

DMC 26 is a Mouliné Spécial-only number: there is no Satin, Light Effects, or Étoile version of this shade. For a sheen or sparkle in the same tone, blend one strand of the nearest metallic with two strands of DMC 26.

Diamond painting: 26 is not in the standard drill set, so kits rarely call for it. Loose-drill shops that pour to DMC numbers are the usual source if a chart does.

Color Harmonies for DMC 26

DMC threads that pair well with 26, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.

Complementary
Opposite on the color wheel — maximum contrast
Analogous
Adjacent hues — smooth, natural transitions
Triadic
Evenly spaced at 120° — vibrant and balanced
Monochromatic
Same hue, different lightness — great for shading

Purples Family

DMC 26 in context with nearby shades from the purples color family.

About DMC 26

Known as Pale Lavender, DMC 26 is a light, muted shade sitting in the purples family with blue-violet tones. It has a quiet and understated feel that suits plum themes and lilac patterns particularly well. Designers often pair this shade with galaxy motifs or lavender fields for balanced palettes.

Frequently Asked Questions

DMC 26 — what color is it?

The color of DMC 26 is Pale Lavender — a light purple thread (hex #BBB0D1, RGB 187, 176, 209). It shows up most in grape clusters and wisteria.

What is the Anchor equivalent of DMC 26?

The closest Anchor match for DMC 26 (Pale Lavender) is Anchor 95 (Violet Ultra Very Light) with a 65% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include Anchor 342 (Lavender Ultra Very Light, 62%) and Anchor 869 (Antique Violet Very Light, 56%).

Which DMC threads are close to 26?

The closest DMC threads to 26 are 3743 Antique Violet very light (ΔE 7.03), 211 Lavender light (ΔE 7.13), and 25 Ultra Light Lavender (ΔE 8.6). These are useful substitutes when 26 is unavailable or for building gradients.

What is DMC 26 good for?

DMC 26 (Pale Lavender) is commonly used in cross-stitch projects featuring grape clusters, wisteria, amethyst tones, iris blooms. Its light tone works well for standalone motifs and as part of larger palettes. This page includes color harmonies and similar shades to pair with 26.

What fabric color works best with DMC 26 (Pale Lavender)?

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, 26 has a contrast ratio of about 2.1:1 on white fabric and 10.2:1 on black. As a soft cool shade, its cool cast recedes visually — useful for backgrounds, shadows, water and sky, and calm, restful palettes.

Is there a metallic or satin version of DMC 26?

No. DMC 26 (Pale Lavender) exists only as Mouliné Spécial six-strand cotton — there is no Satin, Light Effects, or Étoile code for it. For a matching shine, blend one strand of the nearest Light Effects colour with two strands of the cotton.

Which other thread brands come closest to DMC 26?

Outside the main floss brands, the nearest shades we hold are PNK Kirov 2302 (90%), Ariadna 1607 (89%), Caron 6044 Blue Purple (88%). Percentages are perceptual colour distance between the two swatches; anything above about 93% is hard to tell apart on fabric.