Help beginning shawl pattern

[Wool98]

Hello I haven’t crocheted in a while and this pattern is confusing me all over

Row 2-

(1dc, 1ch) in first st, 1tr in each of next 4 sts, * miss next st, (V-st in next st, miss next 2 sts) 4 times, V-st in next st, miss next st, 1tr in each of next 5 sts, rep from * to end.

How would one go about doin a dc and chain 1 in the first stitch? 

Also the pattern never specified what a v-stitch is? Is it 1dc, then chain 1, then 1dc?

Finally for the v stitch cluster,  does it make 4, 5 or 6 v-stitches in total? My shawl ended up finishing on the wrong stitches so I don’t know if this has something to do with it.

Thank you

 

 

 

[Granny Square]

A chain 1 doesn't go INTO a stitch, it floats above the row below, so sure.  

A V stitch CAN be what you described, but there are all sorts of variations.  "Skip 1, v-st, skip 2" = covers  4 stitches.  Normally when you make a stitch that is many stitches into 1, like a V, the# of stitches it takes to make the V=the number of skipped stitches + the 1 st the V is made into, to keep things flat.  "Skip 1+ v's base stitch+skip 2" = 4 stitches.  So I'd guess the V might be dc, ch2, dc.

A cluster is a family of stitches with many variations also, so I can't even guess what V stitch cluster means in your pattern.  Actually my crystal ball might be foggy today but "V stitch" and "cluster" doesn't even make sense together: a cluster is x incomplete stitches drawn together while finishing off the last stitch.  A V stitch is some number of completed stitches with chain(s) between.   

Most well written patterns have a stitch definition section, either at the beginning but also sometimes at the very end -- they are easy to miss if the end is a few pages ahead and you haven't gotten that far...Or, often looking at the pattern photo can help solve mysteries - Don't post the pattern here for copyright reasons, but can you link to a photo of the pattern online, or the pattern itself if it's free. 

[Wool98]

It’s a free pattern so I’ll link it here

https://knitpatons.com/en/file/164834/download?token=cvZ1wK_L

I feel like it’s been a huge help so thank you!
 

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This pattern is really odd because there is no stitch abbreviation section. It probably assumes you should already know what to do as a experienced crocheter?

That makes more sense about the chain in the first stitch! However I’m still confused how the dc will work as it usually requires the person to work in the 2nd or 4th stitch from the hook like other patterns I’ve seen. Should the dc look really short and tight in appearance?

Yes I think saying cluster is confusing for the v stitches which is my bad! 
 

 

[Granny Square]

Thanks for the link, I haven't used a Paton's pattern before and am surprised and disappointed they don't define stitches.  Also too bad the photo is all scrunched up so it's a little hard to see what is going on, but that's not so unusual...

There is a blue button  bottom right, 'information pages', that defines the plain stitches--this confirms my suspicion that it was in UK terms, as I was seeing US SC and DC not DC and Trebles. But it doesn't define V stitch and V cluster BUT there is no mention of cluster(?)

OK, I drew a little diagram for the start of the first row.  First, a recommendation--your pattern starts with 'chain 285'.  What I like to do, if it says to chain a large # like that, is throw a few extra chains in - I do count, but occasionally get distracted, and I'd rather pick out a few extra chains than start over.  In my diagram, the underlines are the foundation chains, the x is the UK DC and the | is UK treble, the ° is a chain.  Based on SEEING the V stitches plotted out and a little more of the pattern, I'm going to revise my opinion of their construction to  UK treble, ch1, UK treble, versus 2 chains between the trebles - because it looks like 1 of the 2 chains after the first V belongs to the next V stitch, which I wasn't clear on earlier.  I hope this makes sense.

 

[Wool98]

That clarifies it perfectly! You’re a great teacher