Cross Stitch Floss Calculator
A DMC stranded cotton skein holds 8 meters (8.7 yards) of six-strand floss. Add each color from your chart key with its stitch count to see how many skeins to buy per color, or switch to the whole design for a quick total.
Last reviewed September 15, 2026 · How these figures are calculated
Estimate thread for
Colors from your chart key
Strands
Thread brand
Add the stitch count for each color
How much floss is in a skein?
| Thread | Length per skein | Strands |
|---|---|---|
| DMC stranded cotton (Mouliné) | 8 m · 8.7 yd · 315 in | 6, divisible |
| Anchor stranded cotton | 8 m · 8.7 yd · 315 in | 6, divisible |
| DMC pearl cotton size 5 skein | 25 m · 27.3 yd | 1, not divisible |
| DMC pearl cotton size 3 skein | 15 m · 16.4 yd | 1, not divisible |
Stranded cotton is sold as floss in the US and as thread or embroidery cotton in the UK; the product is the same. Pearl cotton is a single twisted thread used for heavier lines and on coarser fabric.
Floss needed by design size
Skeins for a fully stitched design with 2 strands on 14-count, if every stitch were one color. Real patterns split this across colors, and each color is bought as whole skeins, so the total you buy is higher.
| Design | Stitches | 2-strand thread | Skeins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 × 50 | 2,500 | 32 m | 2 |
| 100 × 100 | 10,000 | 127 m | 7 |
| 150 × 150 | 22,500 | 286 m | 14 |
| 200 × 200 | 40,000 | 508 m | 25 |
The thread calculator explains the formula, and the skein guide walks through a multi-color example.
Reading skeins off a color key
Most charts list every DMC number with the stitches beside it. Running a real key through the calculation shows why the skeins you buy almost always exceed the thread you use. Take a five-color design of 5,025 stitches at 2 strands:
| Color | Stitches | Skeins used | Skeins to buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 310 black | 2,400 | 1.46 | 2 |
| 3865 winter white | 1,850 | 1.13 | 2 |
| 816 garnet | 420 | 0.26 | 1 |
| 3778 terracotta | 260 | 0.16 | 1 |
| 727 pale topaz | 95 | 0.06 | 1 |
The thread actually used adds up to under two skeins. The shopping list is five, because floss is sold whole and a color needing 95 stitches still needs its own skein. That gap is normal and it grows with the number of colors, which is why a 40-color chart is expensive even when it is small.
Two things to check before ordering. Buy the large-area colors in one go, since dye lots shift between batches and the join shows most in a background. And if you are substituting Anchor for DMC, convert the numbers from a chart rather than by eye: several pairs that conversion tables list as equivalent are a shade apart, which matters in blended areas.
Which of the three thread tools you need
They start from different information. Pick the one that matches what your pattern actually tells you.
How much thread does this design use in total?
You know the stitch count and the strands, and you want a length and a formula you can check.
How many skeins of each color from my chart key?
You have a color key with a stitch count beside each shade and you are writing a shopping list.
How many skeins altogether, and what will they cost?
The pattern only gives a size and a number of colors, so you are estimating from coverage.