There are people who like the artificial cane, but I hate it. It looks like what it is, not like real cane. Actual cane does vary in quality, both among and within batches. Getting cane from a reputable supplier (like H.H. Perkins), and choosing good strands from your bundle will help. Epxerience makes a HUGE difference too. When new to caning, it can be very frustrating but the more practice one has, the better and less frustrating the process is.
Based on where you stopped, I'm guessing your frustrations mounted when weaving the diagonals. This is where it begins to get more challenging and where experience makes it easier and better. But here's some concrete, practical advice for you:
Pull out those diagonals and weave them the opposite way! That is, at every intersection with the vertical and horizon strands, you have the diagonal going over the top strand and under the bottom one. Do it the opposite - under the top one and over the bottom. It seems counterintuitive because you might think your diagonals will slip all the way inside the pairs of vertical/horizontal, but they won't. There will be much less strain on your diagonals, they will pull easier, and they will look much better in the end. You might need to zoom in on the photo below, but compare this with your pattern:
