Before you tackle an actual PROJECT, like Dragon Fly, Heart, Bracelet, Rocket, etc., you need to know how to count the number of stitches you've completed, as the project descriptions will tell you to "complete 20 square stitches, then complete 5 circle stitches", etc. Here's how you can do that:

Always start counting your stitches from the end you BEGAN the project at, NOT from where you last completed a stitch. Looking at the completed Brick project at left, we finished the project at the top of the photo, where the strands are located.      The stitches at the bottom are actually part of the "starter brick stitch" and are generally NOT counted as a completed stitch, while the stitch at top is part of the completion stitch, which is ALSO generally NOT counted.      This leaves the central stitches. You should count all loops seen on ONE SIDE of the project, and from ONE COLOR of the project. In this example, I'm counting just the Apple Green stitches, and NOT the Grape stitches. The stitches located on the RIGHT were created from ONE END of the Apple Green boondoggle strand, while the stitches on the left were created from the OTHER END.

To make it easier, I count the first stitch, the one made by the "starter brick stitch" up to the LAST real stitch, leaving out the one included as part of the "completion stitch", and then simply SUBTRACT ONE from the number. Counting this project reveals that it contains 21 actual Brick stitches!      Counting Twist is almost as easy. You count the stitches of the same color that twist around the center. This involves you slowly turning the Twist project, so that you can follow the stitches around, as you count them.      Remember, regardless of WHICH project stitch you're counting, only count the stitches from ONE COLOR you've used. Even though Brick is made up of TWO Square stitches side-by-side, you only COUNT the stitches from ONE SIDE. In fact, when I count Brick stitches, I turn the Brick project sideways, so I'm looking at it as if it looked like a simple Square project. This makes it MUCH easier to count!