Pearl Cotton for Tapestry

Pearl cotton is the glossy, fine alternative to wool in needlepoint: a single, non-divisible, tightly twisted cotton that gives a smooth, lustrous surface on fine canvas and small pieces. This category gathers the pearl cotton brands in the tapestry branch; the main product is DMC Pearl Cotton No 5 skeins and No 8 balls. All sizes, colour cards and comparisons are in DMC Pearl Cotton; wool in DMC Wool Skeins, floss in Tapestry Floss.

Size by Canvas Count

No 5 covers 10–12 ct canvas fully and No 8 suits 14 ct and petit point; use a size 20–22 blunt needle and keep the half-cross direction constant. One skein of No 5 covers about 12×12 cm on 12 ct. Colour codes match DMC floss; for wool-keyed tapestries pick the nearest tone with a conversion chart.