26 — Pale Lavender
Purples family#BBB0D1
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.
About DMC 26
DMC Six-Strand Embroidery Floss (Mouliné Spécial)
- Also sold as
- Lavender White
- Fiber
- 100% cotton
- Strands
- 6 strands
- Sold as
- 8 m skein
Brand Equivalents for DMC 26
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 26 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 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
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.
Purples Family
DMC26 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 108 (Lavender Very Light) with a 78% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include Anchor 117 (Blue Violet Very Light, 64%) and Anchor 342 (Lavender Ultra Very Light, 58%).
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 color 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 Silk and Ivory 116 Shrinking Violet (93%), Appleton 891 Hyacinth (91%), Artkal R R33 Maverick (90%). Percentages are perceptual color distance between the two swatches; anything above about 93% is hard to tell apart on fabric.