Pearl Cotton in Cross Stitch

Pearl cotton is the glossy, practical alternative to floss in cross stitch: as a single strand it needs no separating or flattening, and stitches sit slightly raised and lustrous. This category holds the DMC pearl cotton sizes suited to cross stitch; the full guide, size comparison and colour card are in DMC Pearl Cotton.

Choosing Size by Count

No 5 covers 11 ct Aida and 6–10 ct children's canvas; No 8 covers 14 ct Aida and 28 ct evenweave; No 12 covers 16–18 ct Aida and 32 ct linen. Use blunt needles size 22 for No 5, 24 for No 8, 26 for No 12. Colour codes match floss, so search the DMC code on your chart directly in pearl cotton, or pick the nearest size if a code is missing. A skein of No 5 covers about 15×15 cm on 14 ct, a ball of No 8 about 30×30 cm.