Knitting Needles → Farrow & Ball
The closest Farrow & Ball matches for Sherwin Williams Knitting Needles (SW 7672), ranked by perceptual color distance.
Finding a Farrow & Ball Equivalent for Knitting Needles
If you love Sherwin Williams Knitting Needles but need a Farrow & Ball alternative, you are not alone. This is one of the most common cross-brand paint matching searches, whether you are working with a painter who prefers Farrow & Ball, your local store does not carry Sherwin Williams, or you simply want to compare prices across brands before committing.
Knitting Needles (SW 7672) is a medium gray with cool neutral gray undertones. A balanced mid-tone gray with minimal undertone. To find a good Farrow & Ball match, we need a color that captures not just the right depth (LRV 40) but also that specific undertone character. That is where Delta E color science comes in.
We calculated the perceptual color distance between Knitting Needles and every Farrow & Ball color using the CIE2000 Delta E formula, which measures how different two colors look to the human eye. A Delta E under 2 means most people cannot tell the colors apart. Between 2 and 4, you might notice a difference in certain lighting. Above 5, the difference is clearly visible side by side.
The results are decent but not perfect. The closest Farrow & Ball option is Purbeck Stone (No.275) with a Delta E of 3.8, which is a "good match" level match. Purbeck Stone is the closest Farrow & Ball option at LRV 42. Similar character with F&B's chalky complexity, though some difference is visible. You will want to test a sample before committing, as the difference may be noticeable in certain lighting.
Farrow & Ball Matches for Knitting Needles
Purbeck Stone is the closest Farrow & Ball option at LRV 42. Similar character with F&B's chalky complexity, though some difference is visible.
| Knitting Needles | Purbeck Stone | |
|---|---|---|
| LRV | 40 | 42 |
| Hex | #B7B4AF | #BCB6AC |
| Undertone | Cool Neutral Gray | Warm Stone |
| Family | Gray | Greige |
Undertone Comparison
Knitting Needles has cool neutral gray undertones. A balanced mid-tone gray with minimal undertone.
Purbeck Stone has warm stone undertones. A warm, organic stone color. Deeper and richer than Ammonite. Named for the Dorset limestone. Natural and grounding.
The undertone difference is worth paying attention to. While they are close in overall appearance, the different undertones mean they may diverge in certain lighting. Knitting Needles's cool neutral gray quality may read differently than Purbeck Stone's warm stone character, especially in rooms with strong directional light or colored accents that could pull out one undertone more than the other. Test a sample in your specific room before committing.
How These Colors Behave in Different Lighting
Knitting Needles in Your Room
Clean and neutral. A solid, reliable gray.
Purbeck Stone in Your Room
Reads as a warm, earthy medium gray in most rooms. The stone quality gives it sophistication. Beautiful with raw wood and natural textiles.
LRV and Brightness
Knitting Needles has an LRV of 40, while Purbeck Stone has an LRV of 42. These two colors reflect a very similar amount of light, so you should not notice a significant difference in room brightness when switching between them. The room will feel approximately the same in terms of light and space, which makes this a smoother transition.
Best Rooms for Knitting Needles
Sherwin Williams recommends Knitting Needles for: living room, bedroom, hallway, office, bathroom. With an LRV of 40, this is a medium color that is in the medium range, adding real depth and presence to a room. It works best in rooms with good natural light or as an accent wall color. In smaller or darker rooms, pair it with bright white trim to keep the space from feeling closed in.
Purbeck Stone is recommended for: living room, bedroom, kitchen, hallway, dining room. Both colors are recommended for similar applications, which confirms that this is a practical cross-brand match. You can use Purbeck Stone in the same rooms you planned for Knitting Needles.
Knitting Needles in Other Brands
Looking for Knitting Needles equivalents in other brands besides Farrow & Ball? We have matches across all major paint brands.
Frequently Asked Questions
The closest Farrow & Ball match for Knitting Needles (SW 7672) is Purbeck Stone (No.275) with a Delta E of 3.8, which rates as a "good match" match. Purbeck Stone is the closest Farrow & Ball option at LRV 42. Similar character with F&B's chalky complexity, though some difference is visible. Delta E measures perceptual color distance on a scale where under 2 means nearly identical, 2 to 4 means close with subtle differences, and over 5 means clearly noticeable.
No, they are not identical. Knitting Needles is a Sherwin Williams color with cool neutral gray undertones and an LRV of 40. Purbeck Stone is a Farrow & Ball color with warm stone undertones and an LRV of 42. With a Delta E of 3.8, the difference is subtle and mainly visible in direct side-by-side comparison. Paint formulations differ between brands, so even colors with similar values can look slightly different due to pigment concentration, binders, and finish.
With a Delta E of 3.8, the difference is enough that they should not be used on adjacent walls in the same room. You can use them in separate rooms of the same house, but be aware that walking from one room to the other may reveal the difference, especially if the rooms have similar lighting. For the most consistent look, pick one brand for all connected living spaces and reserve the other brand for visually separate rooms like bathrooms or bedrooms behind closed doors.
There are several practical reasons to look for a Farrow & Ball equivalent. Price differences between brands can be significant on large projects. Availability matters if your nearest paint store or home center specializes in Farrow & Ball. Some painters have strong preferences for one brand's formula based on coverage, dry time, or workability. And if you are touching up existing Farrow & Ball work, matching within the same brand gives you the best consistency for seamless results.
Match calculations use Delta E (CIE2000) computed from Lab color space conversion. Color data sourced from manufacturer specifications. Last reviewed: March 22, 2026.