I’m a bit confused about “repeats” in a shawl pattern. It begins after casting on:
Start patterned rib border and gives instructions for rows 1-14 so I did those. Then it says "repeat R3-14 once more. So I do it once more for a total of 2?
Then Start embossed leaf pattern and after doing that it says to repeat R1-16 four times. Does this mean a total of 5 times worked?
Start VanDyke Check pattern then repeat R1-22 three times. So 4 times worked?
Work Embossed Leaf Pattern R1-16 6 times. I gather since this does not say repeat, then it’s a total of 6 times only?
Work VanDyke Check pattern R1-22 4 times. Four times only?
Work Embossed Leaf pattern R1-16 5 times. Five times only?
Do I have it right? Hope I’m not repeating. 
Question about "Repeat"s
You’ve got it right!
Yup, you got it right. 
Those phrases (ie, repeat rows 3-14 once) are ‘literal’.
Some designers are nice enough to say:
“Work pattern Rows 1-14, [I]then[/I] repeat Pattern Rows 3-14 four times.”
Or,
“Work pattern Rows 1-16 once, then repeat Rows 1-16 four times, for a total of 5 repeats worked in all.”
FYI: I recently read that “pattern real estate” is expensive, and so designers whose work is accepted for magazines are given a literal “square inches” in which to write their pattern out. So they have to opt for the least amount of words and numbers. Sigh.
The point being, that is why magazine patterns are so brief and non-informational sometimes.
Just a tidbit that I thought I’d pass along.
Take care, and it was nice to see your post!
Thank you! :cheering: I’m glad I was reading it right. I finally did get about a quarter of the way through a shawl and realized I had run out of a discontinued yarn. I was four balls short. However, upon looking at what I had done thus far on the pattern, I did not do the repeats so I ended up with one repeat short as I did not do it “literal” … I don’t feel so bad now but I loved the yarn …