DMC Pearl Cotton No 8

No 8 is the medium and best-selling size of the pearl cotton range; it comes as an 80 m, 10 g ball and a single strand is about as thick as two strands of floss. The ball format removes skein untangling: pull and cut. This category lists more than 200 colours by DMC code. For other sizes and a comparison see DMC Pearl Cotton.

Where Is No 8 Used?

Cross stitch: full coverage and a slightly raised, glossy texture on 14 ct Aida with a single strand, and no strand separating or flattening as with two strands of floss. Hardanger: wrapping, filling and lace stitches on 22 ct in No 8; on 25–28 ct satin blocks in No 8 and filling in No 12. Hand embroidery: ideal for stem stitch, outlines, lettering and fine satin stitch. Punch needle: dense, detailed loops with the fine needle, better than No 5 for small lettering and fine lines. Lace and needle lace: a sturdy thread for edgings, needle lace and tiny motifs with a 1–1.25 mm hook.

Needle and quantity

Use a size 5–7 sharp embroidery needle on dense fabric or a size 24 blunt needle on Aida, in 40–45 cm lengths. An 80 m ball covers about 30×30 cm of full cross stitch on 14 ct or a hardanger napkin edge. Buy colours with size and dye lot noted; search the colour code on the product pages.