Count the strands as well as the length
DMC’s 8 m six-strand cotton skein contains 48 m of individual strand in total: 8 × 6. If separated without loss, that is equivalent to:
| Strands held together | Theoretical working length |
|---|---|
| 1 | 48 m |
| 2 | 24 m |
| 3 | 16 m |
| 6 | 8 m |
These are maximum thread lengths before tails, needle allowance and waste. They are not the length of finished stitching or a guaranteed number of cross stitches.
Check the actual product
Skein length, fiber and strand structure vary. Read the label and pattern key, and keep each color’s requirement separate. See six-strand floss.