drop loop from hook

[LizardLady]

Help please, I am so lost, usually I can look up terms and figure it out...not this time. I am working an "easy beginner" (not for me) afghan. Here are the instructions:

From RS, draw up a loop of A in top of beg ch-2, beg-Cl in same ch, * ch 1, sk next 2 hdc, 3-dc Cl in next ch-1 sp; rep from * to last 3 hdc, ch 1, sk next 2 hdc, 2-dc Cl in last hdc, drop loop from hook – Fifty- three 3-dc Cl, 54 ch-1 sps, a beg-Cl at beg of row, and a 2-dc Cl at end of row

where the heck am I starting I have no idea. I have changed 163 and then done a pattern of a "ch 1, sk next 2 ch, 2 hdc" in the next row. I am confused by the fact this is the first time I am having to "drop loop from hook" in row one with B. so that is done now with A I don't know where to start. Last what the heck is"beg-Cl in same ch"

[Granny Square]

Welcome to the 'ville!

I'll address the part in red first--before the beginning of the pattern instructions, it probably said something like color A=white, color B=red (or whatever color scheme), just to save typing the color names repeatedly if they switch back and forth a lot. 

So prior to telling you to 'draw up a loop of A', you were probably working with color B, and now you are changing colors--and to do that, you 'drop' the B color yarn, grab the A color, and pull a loop of color A thru the B loop you dropped and do the next thing it tells you to do.  'Draw' up a loop (I think) appears more in vintage patterns, and possibly modern UK patterns as the phrasing is sometimes a tiny bit different than US patterns (and sometimes sounds vintage-y to my US ear).

Edited because I missed a step.

 

Edited November 30, 2022 by Granny Square

[bgs]

Somewhere towards the beginning of the pattern they most likely defined colors used and assigned them with a with a letter as Granny Square said.  Also in that same general area they explain how to make a Cl and a beg-Cl. 

This part is the stitch count for your row:    Fifty- three 3-dc Cl, 54 ch-1 sps, a beg-Cl at beg of row, and a 2-dc Cl at end of row

[Lacycrochet]

Hi LizardLady,

You asked what a beg-cl is.  It is a beginning cluster.  To do this, you make your stitch, usually dc. After each stitch, you leave the last loop on the hook.  If you do three double crochet then you should have four hoops on the hook.  On your last yarn over, draw through all four loops on your hook.  You will then have your cluster. 

I am not great at explaining stitchs so if it didn't make sense, you tube it and you will see it in action.

Edited December 9, 2022 by Lacycrochet

[Granny Square]

I agree with Bgs that a beginning cluster should be defined in the special stitches section of a well written pattern; however as we see here in the Help section a lot of self published patterns aren't well written. 

A cluster, and a beginning cluster that it 'goes with' can have numerous variations of stitch type and count; the beginning cluster is usually slightly different than the 'plain' one because it is at the beginning of a row, or needs a little 'set up' than following clusters if they happen in the middle of a row--so a warning that if you look up 'beginning cluster' up on youtube, it may be showing a completely different stitch type and count than YOUR pattern, so scour the pattern for a description.