Beginner - English pattern

Hello,

I'm a complete beginner (last crocheted at school 20 years ago...) but now I got it into my head to try an English pattern for a Baby Yoda figure right away, although I'm struggling with it a bit.

The pattern says the following:

1. Magic ring 8, SC x8 (8)
2. Inc in each SC x8 (16)
3. (Inc, SC) x8 (24)
4. (Inc, SC in next 2 SC) x8 (32)
5. (Inc, SC in next 3 SC) x8 (40)
6. (Inc, SC in next 4 SC) x8 (48)
7. SC in each stitch for rounds 7-13 (48)
14. (Dec, SC in next 4) x8 (40)
15. (Dec, SC in next 3) x8 (32)
16. (Dec, SC in next 2) x8 (24)
17. (Dec, SC) x8 (16) and fasten off.


"SC in next 2 SC", that instruction wasn't completely clear to me. Single crochet into the next 2 single crochets?!
"(Inc, SC) x8 (24)" I don't quite understand this instruction either. Do I need the (24) so that I know I have to crochet 2 stitches into every second stitch?

I tried to translate it for myself like this:

1. Magic ring with 8 single crochets (8 stitches total)
2. Increase, 2 single crochets in each stitch (16 total)
3. Increase, 2 single crochets in every 2nd stitch (24 total)
4. Increase, 2 single crochets in every 3rd stitch (32 total)
5. Increase, 2 single crochets in every 4th stitch (40 total)
6. Increase, 2 single crochets in every 5th stitch (48 total)
7. 7 rows of single crochet (48 total)

For the decrease, I think I made a mistake because I crocheted stitches together.
And then I also got confused with the stitch count..

What I did:
14. Decrease, crochet the 5th + 6th stitch together
15. Decrease, crochet the 4th + 5th stitch together
16. Decrease, crochet the 3rd + 4th stitch together
17. Decrease, crochet the 2nd + 3rd stitch together
18. Decrease, crochet the 1st + 2nd stitch together

Can someone explain to me, based on the English instructions, how it should have been done correctly?

Best regards

If the beginning is correct, then
Round 14: 2 together, 4 single crochets (8x) (40)
Round 15: 2 together, 3 single crochets... (32)
Round 16: 2 together, 2 single crochets (24)
Round 17: 2 together, 1 single crochet... (16)
Unfortunately, you’ll have to count the rest yourself...

1. and 2. as you wrote.
But:
3. *increase in one stitch (= work 2 single crochets in 1 stitch), then 1 single crochet*
from * to * a total of 8 times (=24 sts in this round)
4. *Increase in one st, then 2 sc*
from * to * a total of 8 times (=32 sts in this round)
5. *increase in one st, then 3 sc*
from * to * a total of 8 times (=40 sts in this round)
etc.

Then in round 14: *single crochet 2 stitches together, 4 sc*
from * to * a total of 8 times (=40 sts in this round)
15. *single crochet 2 stitches together, 3 sc*
from * to * a total of 8 times (=32 sts in this round), etc.

Thanks for the answers—they’ve already helped me. I guess it was just a basic misunderstanding on my part as a beginner, regardless of whether it was in English or German ;)