Pattern help on new project.

[Grammy C of IA]

Please explain how to read (Inc, 5 SC) x 2 (14)
I am so excited to start a new project but unfortunately I don’t know how to read this.

[StillSlowCrocheter]

Inc is 2 sc in same stitch then five sc in each following stitch. Do this twice and you get 14 sc.

[Granny Square]

Welcome to the 'ville!

^ What she said.  Parentheses do have something to do with increases, but aren't used 'the right way' here.  On the other hand, the author has given you good info that not all patterns do, a final stitch count at the end.

More conventionally, this should have been worded something like: *Inc, SC in each of the next 5 stitches; repeat from * once more (14 SC)  And there should have been a 'special stitches' or 'stitch definition' to define an inc (increase), 99% of the time it is 2 stitches into 1 (so, an increase of 1 stitch) but sometimes it is more.

This link is to the US Craft Yarn Council page on how to read (and write) a crochet pattern.  The CYC is composed of US yarn, hook, knitting needle manufacturers and pattern publishers, who have come up with and written these standards that they adhere to.  Unfortunately there are a lot of self published patterns out there that aren't written conventionally, like this one (although we have seen a lot worse on the help forum here!). 

 

[LittleBearsPorch]

Good luck on your project! 

[Horsy]

I just HATE unclear instructions. You don't know how many I've encountered over the years.  When a beginner, I would just stop the project and rewind my yarn.  Now, I can usually figure things out, but not without some grief. 

[Granny Square]

It's nice there are a lot of patterns people offer 'for free' on the internet, but it really is a minefield, isn't it?  The CGOA has codified the pattern writing conventions which were composed and are adhered to by US pattern publishers and there is no excuse for native English speakers not to follow them (I cut a lot more slack for non-native speakers trying their best). 

It's like coming up with different shortcuts for phone texting (for something where commonly understood shortcuts already exist) that are inscrutable to anyone but you.