Reading crochet patterns
Terms, US vs UK stitch names, sizing and gauge. Everything before the first chain.
How to Read a Crochet Pattern: Abbreviations, Repeats and Stitch Counts
A crochet pattern is written in shorthand: abbreviations for stitches (ch, sc, dc), asterisks and brackets for repeats, and a stitch count at the end of each row. Read the materials, gauge and notes first, check whether it uses US or UK terms, then work one row at a time and count as you go.
US vs UK Crochet Terms: A Conversion Chart You Can Actually Use
US and UK crochet patterns use the same names for different stitches, shifted one step. A US single crochet (sc) is a UK double crochet (dc), a US half double crochet is a UK half treble (htr), and a US double crochet is a UK treble (tr). Chain and slip stitch are the same in both.