Reading knitting patterns: ARE they as hard as they look? Are US and UK ones the same?

[miljee]

I want to tackle something fairly easy- I can knit and purl fairly quickly but I've never tackled anything other than rectangles! All this KS, P7, sso, slip 1, rpt etc scares me!

Anyone know any sites that would make it all crystal clear to me??

There should be instructions in the book. Do a tension/trial square and all should become clear very soon.
Never done and American pattern, but I'm doing a Patons pattern at the moment and it took me a long time to figure it out.

US patterns usually use different terminology for things like yarn overs etc but they usually explain in the pattern. Psso = pass slip stitch over, yf= yarn forward , SSK is slip a stitch, slip another stitch, knit them both through the front on the right hand needle.