Cross Stitch Skein Calculator
The skein calculator works out how many skeins of thread to buy before you start a project. Enter your design dimensions, number of colors, and coverage percentage — and get a total with a safety buffer included.
Average % of design per color
Your percentages add up to over 100%. The total stitch count will be over-estimated. Adjust coverage percentages.
Enter design dimensions to calculate skeins needed
What is a skein of cross stitch thread?
A skein is a small bundle of stranded cotton thread. Standard DMC skeins contain 8 meters (about 315 inches) of six-strand thread. Anchor skeins are slightly longer at around 8.25 meters. When you work from a skein, you pull out the six strands and separate them, using however many strands your pattern calls for — usually 2. One DMC skein gives you about 4 working lengths of 18 inches each when using 2 strands. For more on thread quantities, see the thread calculator.
How to organise your skeins
Wind skeins onto numbered bobbins (small plastic cards) and keep them in a project bag or organiser box. Write the DMC number on each bobbin so you can find colours quickly. Keep colours sorted by number or by shade — either system works, as long as you are consistent. Never store wet thread on a bobbin; it will leave colour marks.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on your design size, number of colors, and how much of the design each color covers. A 100×100 design with 6 colors at 20% coverage per color needs about 3 skeins per color (DMC) with a 15% buffer. The calculator above works this out exactly from your stitch count.
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