Fan and Feather Shawl

I got some lace (almost cobweb size) Suri alpaca yarn at Stitches West. They are in three graduating shades of purple. Gene agrees the color scheme will look nice on the Fan and Feather shawl. So I started doing some practice on the bigger yarn. The pattern is so pretty.
















However, when I stated on the real thing...It doesn't look quite the same. Granted I dropped a stitch (upper right hand corner), but is the needle too big for the yarn? From the sample above we know how the pattern will look with a too small of a needle but how would the pattern turn out if the needle is not small enough. Would it look nice and airy like the Cherry Blossom Shawl? Any help is welcome!















I did take it apart because some center stitches are too lose and they look like yarn overs. I'll start it again once I re-decide what needle to use...