Appleton Wool

Appleton wools come in 2 types: Crewel Wool (2ply) and Tapestry Wool (4ply). Tapestry wool is usually used on 12hpi canvas, but, depending on the stitch, can be used on 10hpi. For 14hpi or finer canvas we would recommend crewel wool. For embroidery work we would recommend crewel wool as it will lie flatter than tapestry wool.

With crewel wool you can vary the number of strands you put through the needle. This depends on the stitch, but usually you use 3 strands for 12hpi. Because you can use more than one thread in the needle at a time you can mix colours in the needle for blending or interesting effects. Some kit designers use tapestry and crewel wool in the same kit for this reason.

Appleton wool comes in 3 sizes:
              – Skeins (10 yards of tapestry wool or 30 of crewel wool)
              – Hanks (equivalent to 6 skeins)
              – Bundles (20 hanks)

In summary the options are: Crewel Bundles; Crewel Hanks; Crewel Skeins; Tapestry Bundles; Tapestry Hanks; Tapestry Skeins

This on-line shade card is useful as a guide, but be aware your screen settings will affect the exact shade you see. As a result, you may wish to buy a shade card to keep.

Appleton colors are given as 3 digit numbers. As a result, the 3rd color in the Purple range would be given as 103.