My first novels...

It's Friday night and I'm working on a paper (due on Monday) for my history class on the Sundiata (history of Mali) epic. That being said, I haven't updated here in over a month: a situation that requires immediate action.

Brace yourself for my massive update. I am going to try to be relatively brief since there are numerous topics that need to be covered, but I make no promises with regards to its brevity.

Book I: Things I Have Completed

Chapter 1: That Cabled Pillow

I finally got around to sewing that cabled pillow together and stuffing it. It's a pretty funny pillow. I blocked the squares to be 12" x 12" and when I sewed them together the pillow is a squat, poofy little thing. It works as a headrest and looks adorable in an "I'm an awkward size" kind of way, but it isn't quite the decorational/functional pillow for which I had hoped. But at some point in the indeterminate future, a corresponding pillow will be made and I'm hoping it will look like a big-pillow-little-pillow set. Note to my mother: they will not be matchy-matchy.

Chapter 2: Those Fingerless Gloves for Lauren

I am astonished at how quickly these gloves knit. If I had sat down and focused (non-casual knitting, but determination-mode), I probably could have done both gloves in one day. I definitely could have finished them in two days. I'll have to remember these if I'm ever in a gift-giving bind. I made these for Lauren, but with a Knit-A-Long group that does different fingerless gloves each month. These were August's gloves and I happily completed them within the month!

I used Sublime Cashmere Silk Merino DK yarn in 'rhubarb'. Soooo lovely. The yarn is super soft and it has a little bit of shine to it and it shows the stitches well. It slide on and off the needles nicely; it was just a comfortable yarn to work with. In the future, when I have made it through my queue of planned projects, I am going to look for patterns that call for this yarn (or similar) and use it again.

Oops! Too big for Douglas!

I am still debating about whether or not I should make matching (yes, matchy-matchy, but in a pleasant way) a cowl or a mini-scarf (with a pin) for Lauren as well. She has pretty curly hair and I'm not sure that a cowl is such a good idea; it might be miserable getting it on and off for her. Also, though cowl necks on sweaters appear to be in style (as far as I can tell anyway), I haven't seen anyone around my age (other than myself as Curtis pointed out) actually wearing cowls. So I'll figure that out later as her birthday gets nearer (mid-November).

Chapter 3: A Cabled & Cuffed Fisherman Style Hat for Curtis

While ordering (and returning... and ordering... and returning...) all that yarn to find the right color for the blanket I'm planning (see below and previous entries), Curtis found some that he thought would make a great hat. And it turns out it did. The hat turned out awesome and, to be completely honest, I am astonished. The hat was knit flat, rather than in the round, and I couldn't tell until the very end if it was actually going to be the right size. I also couldn't tell if it was going to even look good. But I finished it up and it looks great and it fits. No pom-pom, but I think that it would look kinda dumb and less fisherman hat with a pom-pom. I altered the pattern a little bit so it wasn't so pointy at the top so it's more like a beanie. The pattern itself was frustrating; it assumed a lot of knowledge and left gaps in the pattern that you could figure out, but I spent all that money on the book... I shouldn't have to figure it out. I have no intention of ever making this hat again.

Chapter 4: A Cabled & Cuffed Fisherman Style Hat for Daddy

I made another one of the cabled and cuffed fisherman style hats. 

Before I gave the grey one (above) to Curtis, I asked Daddy to try it on. I figured if it was big enough for him, it would fit Curtis. Dad tried it on and just looked so gosh-darned cute and then seemed so sad when it wasn't for him... so I made him a different one. His is in black to go with his ninja outfit (or because he requested charcoal grey-black and the yarn looks more black out of the store than grey). It's basically the same pattern, but with a different yarn so I did some adjustments. It came out a little looser, but the same resting size so I think it'll work out. It shed all over the place while I was making it (either that or Douglas did), but I think it has pretty much shed all it is going to now.

Red pandas get cold
in Walla Walla!

The hat has a twisted rib for the cuff and the body of the hat (rise) has an alternating cable and a twisted rib. Because the yarn is so dark, I'm sure you can't tell in the picture, but it has some nice visual texture in real life. I'm pretty pleased with how this turned out. The only real problem I had was when I was seaming it (using my newly learned mattress stitch), the yarn, since it was single ply kept pulling apart. Now, I know I'm a pretty tense knitter -- I knit very tightly -- but this was annoying. I had to keep tying it back together. Apparently, this yarn doesn't like shear stress (I just finished a geology course). 

I'm planning on giving this to Daddy for Christmas, so if you talk to him between now and then, don't tell!

Book II: Things I Have Started

Chapter 1: Fingerless Gloves for an Unknown Party for a September Knit-A-Long

This month for the Fingerless Gloves Fanatics monthly Knit-A-Long (KAL), rather than having one design and everyone knit the same design, we did a theme. The theme this month is: support a designer! You can knit/crochet anything you want as long as you purchased the pattern (no free patterns this month!). So I bought "Very Terhi" fingerless gloves and ordered some Rowan Cash DK yarn to make them. Granted, I got off to a late start (I didn't even cast on until September 11, 2010), but this is an unbelievably slow pattern. The gloves featuring a travelling pattern (see all those criss-crossing ridges?), which essentially means that every stitch (or just about) gets cabled one way or another every single row. And I'm using a chart rather than written instructions (or a combination of the two) which means it's slow going. I've finished one of the cuffs last night (September 16, 2010) which might sound really exciting, except that I shortened the pattern by two whole repeats. I don't think these are going to get done in time.  

The palm side of the glove is entirely ribbed which will be nice since the back of the hand will be quite stiff with all of the cabling. I've reached the thumb gusset, and since this whole thing is a chart, I am quite confused. I'm not exactly sure where the stitches are supposed to go. Maybe I'll just wing it if I don't hear back from anyone on Ravelry (I asked if anybody knew what they were doing).  

And who knows? Maybe you'll get a slightly crazed update at 11:58pm on September 30th saying "I did ittttt! I gottt them donnnnneee! Bwahahahaahaaa"! But I doubt it. There are only two Sundays between now and the 30th and I work in the art gallery on Sundays and that's when I get most of my knitting done. Or at least the only time I can plan on having to knit.

Chapter 2: Fingerless Gloves for an Unknown Party for a Different September Knit-A-Long

Since the KAL last month went so quickly I committed (mentally, anyway) to a second KAL for September. This one is a mystery KAL! All this means is I don't know what the gloves look like when they're done and the pattern is released in chunks over the course of the month. I thought this would be fun to do and I found a skein of yarn that I'd forgotten I had (from my first ever 'real' project!) that is exactly right for the pattern (the author tells you what type of yarn and how much you'll need).

I haven't even made a gauge swatch yet. But I'm still considering this 'in progress' and probably will until the end of September. Then it will go back to 'planned'.

Book III: Things I Still Haven't Gotten Around to Working On

Chapter 1: A Sweater Vest for Jack

In making the Cabled & Cuffed Fisherman Style Hat for Curtis, I discovered that I'd been checking my gauge all wrong. I don't know if this would really have made much of a difference for previous projects, but since this is a garment and actually needs to fit or I might cry, I am going to make a new gauge swatch.

Chapter 2: A Stupidly Large and Complicated Blanket for Curtis/Me

The fishermen style hats that I made for Daddy and for Curtis needed the same size needles that were required to start this blanket. This means I haven't been able to start it since I knew I could finish the hats by Christmas (way earlier than Christmas as it turns out). But now the hats are done and the 10.5 needles are available... and I still haven't started it. I'm more scared of this project than I thought I was. But I wound up a skein of yarn so it's ready to go whenever I get the nerve. 

Chapter 3: A Tank-Top for Me

This image is from astealerofhearts.com.

I've been working on other, smaller projects and now that it's September, I'm not really thinking about tank-tops. So I'll make this next summer when it's hot and then it will be ready for... next September. Good plan. Maybe I'll do this over winter break? I'm going to use the Nuna yarn that I got with Curtis (pictured on the right) and make the "Heart Lace Top" (http://www.astealerofhearts.com/2010/06/heart-lace-top-knitting-pattern.html). I'm also going to get tattoos. (Just checking to see if anybody will actually read this far).

Book IV: Yarn

I recently de-stashed (and donated to my knitting club) and took photos of all of the yarn I have and updated my Ravelry page. This is pretty exciting for me, but I don't think anybody else cares. All of my yarn is organized in gallon-sized ziplock baggies too. I'm so pleased with myself. Except now I'm out of ziplock baggies.

The End.

In other news, I really hate the program that Blogger makes you use to enter your blog entries. It wreaks havoc on the formatting. Bah. So apologies if the fonts are MASSIVE or if they're too small to read. I tried. This is somebody else's fault. Not my responsibility. (I'm currently listening to Atlas Shrugged on audiobook). Really though, I'm pretty sure all the fonts will turn out the same size (readable) on everybody's computer.

Blanket and Hat and Gloves

Big Blanket
I've got this big blanket planned (the one with all the cables and the trees in the middle... see image on right) and I have had one heck of a time getting yarn for it. Curtis and I decided we'd go with Cascade's Eco Wool (it's big and bulky and you get an absolute ton of yarn in one skein), but that was the easy part. At first, we'd planned on having the blanket be shades of blue. It'd start off in the middle sort of a light silvery blue and then fade out to a navy blue on the outside border. So I ordered the yarn. When it arrived, I came to the startling realization that *my* monitor is one of *those* computer monitors that doesn't necessarily display color correctly. I had colors from robin's egg blue, to grey-brown, to ocean-green-blue. The only color that looked anywhere near the same was the navy blue. This was going to be a very ugly blanket. As I'm packaging it up to mail the yarn back, Curtis spots a grey skein and says, "Well... I don't think I'd want a grey blanket, but I think that would look great as a hat!" So, Curtis is getting a hat: more information below.

After the shades of blue fiasco, Curtis and I decided to go with a nice, dark forest green -- all one shade. So I order the yarn. It arrives and it is the most nauseating shade of kelly green I have ever seen. That one gets mailed back too. This time, I contact Jimmy Bean's Wool (click HERE to visit their online store) and ask for some advice. I told Amber, the lovely lady who helps with the customer service what type of green I was looking for and she suggested a color and even mailed me a little snippet of the yarn for FREE so I could see it. That yarn worked out (Lichen 9338 -- dark green and browns) and has arrived at my new apartment (mostly unpacked... reluctant to finish my closet). So, once I finish Curtis's new hat, I will begin the biggest knitting project of my entire life.

Curtis's Fisherman's Pride Hat
This hat is knitted flat and I don't think I will ever knit a hat flat again. I can't tell if this is going to fit or not. I can't even tell if it will fit me. Every time I measure it, I get anywhere from 18" to 24"... and that's a huge difference. Once I sew it up (mattress stitch), I'll see if it fits anyone.

This is what the hat is supposed to look like except Curtis is convinced he doesn't want the pom-pom:

This is what the hat looks like so far:

August Knit-Along with Ravelry Group
So, since it's August 14, I figure I should get around to starting the August Knit-Along with Fingerless Gloves Fanatics. I'm pretty sure I can get a pair of fingerless gloves done in 15 days... I think. The pattern I'm making is called "Cafe au Lait Mitts" by Paula McKeever (click HERE to see the pattern on ravelry). Hopefully, they'll fit and look like the image on the left when I'm done. [The image is from Ravlery user Spirals and are of her finished project.]

I'm going to make them for my friend Lauren and make a matching cowl. Her birthday is near the end of November, so they'll either be a birthday present or a Christmas present... not sure which yet. I bought Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk DK in Rhubarb for the project. I think the color is lovely, very dark purpley-pink.

News from KnitWits

For the past week or so, I've been in the process of moving into my new apartment. (See image on the right). This is a much bigger undertaking than I anticipated; this was my first big move (and I moved into my own place so I had to furnish the whole darn thing.. thanks Mom and Dad!) and, as if that wasn't enough pressure and stress, Curtis moved back to Seattle the same weekend. Two moves to coordinate! I suppose it's not surprising I haven't gotten more knitting done. 

I've received two very exciting bits of information from the lovely KnitWit duo in Kirkland, Washington.

1. A knit shop is opening up in Kirkland! It's called Serial Knitters (click HERE to visit their website). The shop is located in Kirkland, Washington at 8427 122nd Avenue NE. Opening weekend is next weekend (August 6th - August 8th) and they're having drawings and door prizes! And of course, there is yarn for sale. It looks like the store is going to do lots of interesting things (they have a 'sci fi' night where they'll be showing a sci fi television series while you can come knit... the first one is Farscape) and they have a ton of classes and events listed. Since I'll be busy that first weekend taking care of middle schoolers (I'm a resident assistant for the Whitman WISE program), it looks like I'll have to send Curtis to do some reconnaissance.

2. If you're feeling charitable, RedHeart has a knitting kit for you! The HeartScarves project benefits the WomenHeart organization (Go Red for Women). For just $12.99 ($3 of which get donated by RedHeart to WomenHeart) you get yarn, needles, a booklet instructing you how to make a scarf, information on how knitting is good for your health, and a plastic carrying case. After you finish knitting your scarf, you can donate to WomenHeart and it will go to a woman struggling with heart disease. Interested? Click HERE.

Well, that's it for now! I've got more unpacking to do.

How to Add a Comment to a Blog

My mother mentioned that it can be a little tricky adding a comment to a blog. To make things a bit easier, I'm posting some step-by-step instructions on how to post a comment to someone's blog.

How to Add a Comment to a Blog
1. At the bottom of each entry, there is a bar that has information about when the entry was posted and how many comments other people have left on the entry.

 

2. Click on the text that says how many comments have been left on the entry.


3. Clicking will take you to a page with just the one entry on it and a text box. You can also see what other people have written.

4. Type what you would like to say into the text box.


5. Once you have typed what you want to say, click on the drop-down menu next to the text that says "Comment as:". This will give you a list of ways for you to post. If you have an online identity (such as a blog of your own), feel free to comment that way. You will be prompted to log in by a pop up window. If you do not have an online identity or do not want to use it, select either Name/URL or Anonymous.

 **How to choose which method of posting** 
If you select Name/URL whatever name you type in (see next step) will appear above your comment. (Mary says... [your comment]). If you select Anonymous, no name will be given above your comment. (Anonymous says... [your comment]).


6a. If you selected Name/URL, a window will pop up prompting you to enter your name and your URL. (URL stands for "Universal Resource Locator" and is the web address that you type in to the address bar at the top of the window to get to a website). Enter in whatever name you want to appear on the post. You can also put in your website address if you have one or you can leave it blank. Click continue.

6b. If you selected Anonymous, you do not have to type anything.

7. If you want to see what your comment will look like before posting, click Preview.

8. Once you are done reviewing your comment and have selected a method of posting, click Post Comment.

9. You may be prompted to type in the letters that are shown to you in an image. If so, type the letters in the picture, keeping in mind that they are case sensitive. This is to make sure that a computer robot isn't spamming the blog.

That's it! You're done! Comment successfully posted.

Breaking News: Boyfriend Scores Brownie Points with Girlfriend and Girlfriend's Landlord

My boyfriend, Curtis (that's him, over there on the right), is currently employed by Home Depot and works in the flooring department where he has been awarded a Homer Award, not once, not twice, but SIX times and has received a Certificate of Appreciation from district management. In other words, he's pretty awesome. But yesterday, he earned some serious brownie points.

First, some background. I am moving into this really nice apartment. The lease is signed, my parents' furniture has been sorted and selected for transfer to my house, everything is pretty much ready... except for the apartment itself. The landlords are renovating it; that's part of what is making the apartment so nice. And, when the plan was to spend the summer at my parents' house in the greater Seattle area, not having an apartment for 3 months wasn't a problem. It wasn't a problem until I got a really great internship working at a library out here in Walla Walla. So, the landlords are scrambling to get the apartment done as quickly as they possibly can (it looks like the move-in date is July 30 now! almost a month earlier than initially planned!), I'm crashing in my friend Becca's room, but since my all of my stuff is just going to have to be moved out again, everything I own is in her dining room.

How does Curtis (over there on the left wearing a hat I made him last winter) fit into this bizarre housing situation? My  landlord, John, met Curtis at Home Depot because he needed tile to finish the shower floor. Unfortunately the Walla Walla Home Depot only had half of the amount John needed so Curtis put in a transfer request and John left happy after being assured that the tile would be there on Thursday.  The Home Depot in Lewiston, however, failed to transfer ALL of the flooring department transfers. What does Curtis do? Aware that John is my landlord and that any delay in construction means continuing discomfort for me, he calls John and offers to go pick up the tile and deliver it.

So, yesterday, Curtis takes me to Richland and we head into the Home Depot and pick up the rest of the tile. We complete an over-the-phone purchase for John and sequester the tile in the trunk of Curtis's car. John is happy and quite impressed with Curtis's dedication to customer service and determination to get me into my own apartment and out of Becca's dining room.

And then! The part that makes this story relevant to a knitting blog. Since we were in Richland anyway... Curtis took me to Knitty Gritty! Tremendously exciting. He even looked through some knitting books and felt some yarn with me. We picked out the type of yarn that will be used on that massive blanket (with the cables and the tree in the middle) and I bought some yarn for a tank top and for an early fall beret thing I'm planning. See the pictured yarn below...

Nuna by Mirasol in a silvery grey blue

40% silk, 40% wool, 20% bamboo

Ultra Pima by Cascade in a dark red

100% pima cotton

This yarn really is more red than purple but I kinda failed at the picturing taking part... below is picture (not mine) from Ravelry that is much closer to the actual color. Imagine the purple mixed with the red below and that's probably closest.

And then, as if that wasn't enough, he took me out to lunch to this amazing teriyaki restaurant, Woo's Teriyaki. It was delicious. It was so good, Curtis mentioned that maybe we could go all the way back out to Richland just to have lunch... but maybe we could go back to the yarn store so we would could get more done in one trip. Excellent!

After lunch, we headed back to Walla Walla and dropped the tile off with John just in time for him to finish up the shower. He is so pleased with Curtis that he is going in to the Home Depot to find a manager and tell them what a great employee Curtis is.

So all around a pretty good day!

Pillows, Slippers, Sweaters, and the Future!

Cabled Pillow

I have finally blocked the squares for the cabled pillow! Not only that, but today I purchased some fabric to back the knitting. That means that I only need to sewing the fabric on (sewing machine... a new acquisition!), sew the sides together (yarn and tapestry needle), and stuff it with fluff! This is tremendously exciting.

I intend to sew it on tomorrow or Monday evening and then later in the week head to Jo-Ann’s (oh, that wonderful place of bliss, contentment, and superior, speedy customer service…) to buy some fluffy stuff to stick inside. 
I’m not quite sure how big this pillow is going to be though. Blocked, the squares come to 12” x 12” and stuffed, they’ll be even a bit smaller. I’m going to make the second pillow (of my own hair-brained design) larger and hopefully they will look like a big-pillow-small-pillow set. It is that outcome for which I go! This second pillow will be basically a square from the quilt design I was considering making using these cabled pillow squares.

The pillow will have a small white square in the middle with a leaf design and a brown border with ... some other sort of textural pattern. The back will be just plain brown in whatever textural pattern I come up with. I'm thinking maybe diamonds.

Trivia from the KnitWit Duo:

Which Harry Potter characters like to spend their free time knitting (for charity or otherwise)? Scroll to the bottom of this entry for the answer!

French Press Felted Slippers

I've knitted all of the slipper pieces. Using size 15 needles made the project go unbelievably fast even if my hands did get tired from holding such large needles. The pieces look pretty funny and they are really large since they'll shrink when I felt them. I actually completed the pieces a while ago, but have been kinda nervous to sew them together.

I'm not so much nervous about sewing them together as I am about felting them. I've never felted anything before -- I generally don't even like things that are felted. If I mess them up (if they felt and shrink so they're too small, for instance), it really isn't a big deal. I did some wildly inaccurate arithmetic and bought way too much yarn for the slippers so it's not like I'd have to buy more if I messed them up. I just like to get things right the first time. But I've decided that I'm just going to do it! Next week. I need to find an extra doesn't-mat ter-if-it-gets-ruined pillowcase first. I think I found one (it's Curtis's from his freshman year... and it's been sitting in storage boxes for at least 3 years now) but before I destroy it accidentally or, you know, cover it in irremovable green fuzz, I need to check with him to make sure it's okay.

I also need to buy some cute buttons for on the flap of the slippers. Buttons! I love buttons and buckles. Not such a fan of tassels though.

Sweater Vest for Jack

Well, this is it. This is the first time that I'm going to knit something that actually has to fit someone. I'm going to make Jack (my grandfather) a sweater vest. It has a textural argyle pattern in the front, a twisted rib on the back, and will be a lovely navy-greyish blue. I've traced an outline of a sweater vest he owns that fits well and I'm going to try to knit that same shape. We'll see how it goes. I've purchased the yarn (while in Ashland celebrating my grandmother Jackie's birthday with some Jane Austen and dinners out on the town!) and I have the pattern. It's from the same magazine that I got the pattern for Quinn's birthday beret. This time, I will be sure to check my gauge.

I will be leaving the leaves off.. not only do I not know how to do Intarsia or Fair Isle style yet, Jack doesn't really wear patterns like that anyway. So, if you can't tell by the pictures here, go ahead and click on the image and you should be able to see the textured argyle. So. That's the plan. I'm planning on contacting the magazine to see if, when I finish, if I can mail in to get a puppy too.

The Future!

I have all sorts of things planned for the future. Step 1: finish outstanding knitting projects (pillows, slippers). Step 2: finish outstanding SEWING projects (notebook covers, bag). Yes! That's right! You heard me! Sewing projects! I've been learning how to sew this summer at a local store called Stash. I have a new sewing machine (Bernina 1080 from my lovely mother and Judy Barlup) and I've been stitching away! I'll be starting a second blog soon... pretty much as soon as I come up with a name, really. That site won't even have the promise of tutorials though since I don't think I could teach anybody anything. But in case you're interested... here's one of the projects that I've done. This is the first thing I've made entirely by myself and I made it using cheap fabric (I didn't know there was really a difference between fabric quality), but I'm still disgustingly pleased with myself. I'm working on making notebook covers for some of my friends.

I have no idea if they'll use them, but at least I'm getting practice sewing. Well, I don't know if Quinn and Alixandra will use them. My friend Lauren has requested some and we're going to pick out fabric together so I'm pretty sure she'll use them. Anyway, the clear plastic pocket (for course name, or owner's name, or whatever) was my addition. Also, please note the pencil pocket on the inside.

I've also made a sling bag (Birdie Sling by Amy Butler) and the class I went to today taught the Grommet Hipster by Indygo Junction and I'm almost done. Indygo Junction, funnily enough, is located in Kansas City, Missouri. Even if you move away, it seems you never actually leave. While I was in Jo-Ann's, there was a woman with her granddaughter from Overland Park, Kansas and I resisted the urge to run up and say hi, but it took a lot of strength.

Anyway, to check out what I'm working on or if you're a sewer, you should visit http://www.MySewingCircle.com. My user name there is KristineMarie.

Other News

I would like to point out, especially to any concerned relatives who may or may not watch shows such as Law & Order: SVU, that it is a Saturday night and I am updating my blog about knitting.

Answer to KnitWit Trivia:

Albus Dumbledore spends time examining knitting magazines; Mrs. Weasley always has a sweater or several ready for reluctant sons and Harry of course; and, Hermione ensures the warmth of House Elf heads by knitting charity hats!

How to Make a Blocking Board

Sometimes things just don't turn out like they should - or the shape and size you want or need them to be. This is when blocking comes in handy. Blocking allows you to make adjustments to your knitting by stretching and shaping. There are three different types of blocking: wet blocking, spray blocking, and steam blocking. The methods vary as to the amount - and form - of water used to relax the fibers and allow you to reshape them and which method you use should be dictated by the type of fiber with which you are working.  I chose to make a pair of blocking boards that way I could move my projects out of the way and have the option of pinning them into shape.

I got the general instructions on how to create a blocking board from Knitting.com. Click HERE for the full article from Knitty.com. Also in that article is a useful guide to which blocking method you should use for which fibers.

I know at first glance the pictures seem small, but if you click on the image, it will show you the full sized picture.

How to Make a Blocking Board


Materials (for two total):

Picture	Item
	2 Sheets of 2' x 2' Drywall (1/2" thick)
	Sturdy tape (such as duct tape, linen tape, or electrical tape)
I used Res-Q Tape because I went in search of linen tape at Jo-Ann's and couldn't find any. The Res-Q Tape is double sided but when you only use one side, the paper on the other is nice and thick and the tape is pretty strong so it worked out. Just use whatever type of tape you think will help keep the edges of your board from crumbling.
	2 yards of 1" gingham fabric
The grid on the fabric will make a useful measuring tool for when you block. The only 1" check I could find was light pink which showed up okay, but I would have preferred a blue or green.
	Staple Gun
The staple gun I used was recommended by my mother who, like myself, has small hands, but - unlike myself - does upholstery. She needed a staple gun that actually worked but was easy to handle and not so large that she couldn't get it into the places she needed to staple. Relatively inexpensive (approx. $10), the Easy Shot was her first pick. After using it, I have no complaints other than a lack of more things to staple.
	5/16" Staples
Make sure your staples will work with your staple gun.

Directions: 

1. Using your sturdy tape, tape around the edges of the squares of drywall. This is to help reinforce the edges and prevent the edges from crumbling.
2. Put extra tape on the corners of the drywall. Like knees and elbows, corners frequently get banged around and bumped into so, while this step isn't strictly necessary, I wouldn't skip it.
3. Iron your fabric! This is important so you don't have any bunches of fabric or wrinkles that will keep your blocking board from being a smooth surface.
4. Spread your fabric out on a smooth, hard surface and place the drywall on the fabric. Make sure the line the top and left side of the drywall up with the lines of the gingham. This will ensure that the grid pattern is straight and will make it a more useful measuring tool.
5. Once your drywall is in position, cut the edges of the fabric so there is a 3" border around the drywall.
6. On one side, fold 1" of the border in towards the drywall. Pin in place. Be sure to place the pins in such a way that when you staple the fabric down, you can still remove the pins. You do this so the cut edge of the fabric is tucked inside and won't fray. If you want to be extra certain that it won't fray, you could also use a product like Fray Check along this edge.
7. Fold the pinned side of the fabric onto the blocking board. While holding the fabric taught but still, staple in place. I stapled about two inches apart along the whole side.
8. Repeat steps 6 - 7 for the side that runs parallel to the first completed side.
9. For the two remaining sides, repeat steps 6 - 7 ensuring that the corners are folded neatly, like a package. To do this, make a triangle in the corner with the fabric. This should help keep the fabric from bunching or being too messy around the corner.
Once all sides have been stapled, you're all done!