When I’m outside on a beautiful summer day, and the sparkling blue sky is clear of clouds, I look up and say, “The sky is a perfect 813 today.” 813 is a DMC perle cotton number for a light blue. On a day that’s overcast, I dread the 415, that pale grey that doesn’t go away. (But on a needlepoint canvas, I love stitching with 415. It is one of my favorite colors.)
The DMC color reference chart has been going on in my head for the past couple of years, but recently I discovered just how far I’ve gone. I was ordering a polo shirt for my nineteen year old son online at OldNavy.com. He likes typical masculine colors and does not want to flash like a circus light. I was describing the color to him on the phone. “It’s really not purple; it’s more like 3041.” I just confused him even more. The shirt arrived this week, and it’s 3041 all right! The green one came too, and it’s more like 503 and not 989. I guess if you make a living matching DMC thread all day, the numbers become part of your life.