Crocheting where do my stitches vanish and appear??

[planningpartyfreak]

Pattern says ch 47 then (46 hdc)

I end up with 47 first row or if I get it right to 46 then 45 the following row

What am I doing?

I'm a beginner

The final chain of the first row becomes the first 'stitch' of the second row. So you would do the first hdc in the second chain from the one on your hook.

What do the instructions for row 3 say? I would expect it to say something like 'turn work and then ch1 (acts as first hdc of row)'?

This website has clear information/instructions including diagrams:
www.learn2knit.co.uk/crochet/working-in-rows.php

As PP said, you need to use a turning chain and crochet into the top of the turning chain at the end of each row. But look at that website because I think it's easier to understand looking at the diagrams.