first stitch disappears

[mathwizard]

Help!!!!!
I picked out a drop pattern 85-5 which has a hat pattern. I am making the hat using circular needles and am loosing the first stitch which is the join. The video sticks and just at the part I need. The gap to join is big no matter what I do and after k2p2 the first round the join stitch disappears. What am I doing wrong? The rest of the pattern is easy but the beginning in not! I have never had such difficulty knitting before!! I should mention this is my first time knitting in a circle. I have made knitted articles but never in a circle and I would like to be able to make socks.
Mathwizard