Embroidery Floss Skeins Calculator
A skein is six strands of 8 m, which unwinds to 48 m of single strand. Sixty metres of need plus 10% spare is 66 m; divided by 48 that is 1.4, rounded up to two skeins, with 30 m left for the next chart.
Your numbers
Skeins to buy
2skeins
Single-strand metres per skein
48m
Floss left over
30m
Formula
Skeins to buy = ⌈Floss length × (1 + Floss spare ÷ 100) ÷ (Metres per skein × 6)⌉
Enter the length on a single-strand basis. Stitching with two strands uses twice the length you pull, not the length you pull. If you plan to buy more of a colour later, check the dye lot — the same number in a different lot shifts slightly, and the join shows across a large filled area.
What to enter
| Input | Default | Accepted range |
|---|---|---|
| Floss length (m)Floss length for the strands in the needle, not whole skeins. | 60 | 0.5 and up |
| Metres per skein (m)The length on the skein band; all six strands run that far. | 8 | 1 and up |
| Floss spare (%)How much extra to buy, covering travels on the back and strands you lose. | 10 | 0 ~ 50 |
Step by step
Quick reference table
Results when only Floss length (m) changes and everything else stays put.
| Floss length (m) | Skeins to buy (skeins) | Single-strand metres per skein (m) | Floss left over (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 1 | 48 | 15 |
| 45 | 2 | 48 | 46.5 |
| 60 | 2 | 48 | 30 |
| 90 | 3 | 48 | 45 |
| 120 | 3 | 48 | 12 |
What each result means
| Result | At default values |
|---|---|
| Skeins to buy (skeins)Skeins to buy; they are not sold in parts, so it rounds up. | 2 |
| Single-strand metres per skein (m)One skein measured as single strand — six times the label length. | 48 |
| Floss left over (m)Floss left over after rounding up, which carries to the next chart. | 30 |
Common mistakes
Enter the length on a single-strand basis. Stitching with two strands uses twice the length you pull, not the length you pull. If you plan to buy more of a colour later, check the dye lot — the same number in a different lot shifts slightly, and the join shows across a large filled area.
Glossary
- Floss length
- Floss length for the strands in the needle, not whole skeins.
- Metres per skein
- The length on the skein band; all six strands run that far.
- Floss spare
- How much extra to buy, covering travels on the back and strands you lose.
- Skeins to buy
- Skeins to buy; they are not sold in parts, so it rounds up.
- Single-strand metres per skein
- One skein measured as single strand — six times the label length.
- Floss left over
- Floss left over after rounding up, which carries to the next chart.
Frequently asked questions
Q. How is Embroidery Floss Skeins Calculator calculated?
Skeins to buy = ⌈Floss length × (1 + Floss spare ÷ 100) ÷ (Metres per skein × 6)⌉ — A skein is six strands of 8 m, which unwinds to 48 m of single strand. Sixty metres of need plus 10% spare is 66 m; divided by 48 that is 1.4, rounded up to two skeins, with 30 m left for the next chart.
Q. Can you walk through an example?
With Floss length 60m, Metres per skein 8m, Floss spare 10%, the answer is Skeins to buy 2skeins.
Q. What do I need to enter?
Enter Floss length, Metres per skein, Floss spare. The result recalculates as you type, and an empty box counts as zero.
Q. How much does the answer move if I change a number?
Changing only Floss length (m) moves the answer to Floss length (m) 30 → Skeins to buy (skeins) 1 and Floss length (m) 120 → Skeins to buy (skeins) 3. The table below lays out five steps.
Q. How are the numbers rounded?
Money is shown to the nearest whole unit, percentages to one decimal place and everything else to two. What you see is rounded; the calculation itself carries the unrounded value forward.
Q. Anything to watch out for?
Enter the length on a single-strand basis. Stitching with two strands uses twice the length you pull, not the length you pull. If you plan to buy more of a colour later, check the dye lot — the same number in a different lot shifts slightly, and the join shows across a large filled area.
Related calculators
Materials differ in density and absorption. If your label states a figure, use it — the defaults here are only common values.