Someone just asked about how to read crochet abbreviations. I found a site that lists the most common US crochet abbreviations and what they stand for. The link is here:
http://www.needlepointers.com/displaypage.aspx?ArticleID=29065&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.karpstyles.com%2fcrochet%2fcrochet-abbreviations.html
And I have also placed it in the 'Links I Love' listing.
Once you know what the abbreviation stands for, you can go to this link from Crochet Pattern Central (also in 'Links I Love') to see how the stitch is made:
http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/directory/stitches.php
Happy crocheting to all of you, beginners and experienced alike. And, Merry Christmas :-)