Your practice piece looks very nice... much better than most of the people I have taught to knit. Don't wait too long to learn the purl stitch.
I'm also on Knitting Paradise. The man who started this board sold it, and then started Knitting Paradise. He is the Admin. there... Konstantin. You'll recognize the format when you get there!
Keep practicing and then look for a class on how to fix your mistakes. There are lots of remedies, and they are best taught in person. Perhaps the person teaching you now might offer to teach you how to fix mistakes.