Keep Running Out of Room In My Working Loop

Hi there! I'm a complete beginner (I just started shuttle tatting a couple of weeks ago), and I keep coming across an issue with the size of my working loop. It seems like no matter how much room I give myself (I've been wrapping my pinky finger around 4-7 times), I run out of space in my working loop. It's kept me from being able to follow the patterns I've tried to work on since I can usually only get around 16 stitches in before the loop is so small I can't fit my fingers in it anymore.

Is that normal? Am I not pinching my work tightly enough as I work in my stitches? Has anyone else had this issue and found a way to fix it?

Thank you! Any help or advice would be appreciated!