Hello! I have this pattern from an old book of my mother’s (Knitting in the Sun) and I need help understanding it, I am so lost.
The instructions say “ Work the lace charts reading odd-numbered rows from left to right and even-numbered rows from right to left.”, but shouldn’t I start row 1 on the right, where the number is?
And I cannot understand the symbols either: it says “knit on right side and purl on wrong side” but if a blank square means ‘knit on right side, purl on wrong side’, why does the chart also have different symbols for purl? 
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. And also, when it comes to “s2kp” I know the meaning and how to do it but as I see the pattern, it appears right before the red box that marks the repeat. Since s2kp uses 3 stitches, should I include stitches from inside the repeat, or only from outside?
Aw I am so confused and not sure I explained myself well, please I’d truly appreciate your help, thank you!! The book is “Knitting in the Sun”, I attach picture, and thank you very much for any clarification you can offer!
It always seems to me that being confused is the beginning of understanding the problem.
Sometimes book editors or chart programs have a set way of setting up charts. Thus the numbers seem to be on the opposite side of the chart for this particular pattern. For your pattern the directions want you to start with an odd numbered, WS row reading left to right (with the number at the end of row). The even numbered rows are RS rows in this lace pattern and are read right to left.
Sometimes the directions to knit on the RS, purl on the WS seem redundant with the blank and dotted squares but when you come to increases, decreases, yarn overs the blanks and dots are a good guide to follow for the next row. Charts need a symbol for purl on the RS for example. If every square was blank, you have stockinette stitch (knit RS, purl WS) and never reverse stockinette (purl RS, knit WS) or garter stitch (knit every row). You can see on the edges of the chart where the blanks are knit on the RS and dots are knit on the WS for garter stitch.
The s2kp is worked on the RS rows which are read right to left so there is a s2kp inside the repeat and one after the repeat. (It will probably help to place markers around the repeat.) For the one inside the repeat use 3sts inside the repeat when the s2kp occurs inside the red box and use 3sts outside the repeat when the s2kp occurs after the repeat.
These are all good questions. Good for you for jumping into lace and these particular charts.
Thank you very much, you’re so kind!! I was very discouraged but with your help I am determined to have a go at it again!
Try out a run through of the pattern on a swatch if you’d like just to see how it goes. Even a few rows will give you an idea of the pattern.
I love the title of your mother’s book.
I would have been confused by the placing of the numbers on the chart too. When a chart has row numbers all on one edge I am fine but when it’s like this, with odds one end and evens the other, I automatically expect the row to be read from the end the number is printed.
I think I’d need to draw some arrows on there to remind me which way I was going, especially if I was to put the book away to use again another time.
Hope it works out for you now you have a proper chance of trying it out with salmonmac’s great explanation!
Thank you very much!