A flexible bid gives me too much rope

The contract was not a success: 4S went down 3.  Which bid was wrong -- the takeout double or the subsequent raise to game?

Looking over the hand-records, anyone who held my hand and overcalled 1D did well.  North bid 1NT, East came in with 2H and EW played it there for down 2.  No one holding my hand passed 2S: they all bid 4S and went down 3 or 4.

(a) Is there something about this hand that indicates that a 1D overcall would work out better than a takeout double?  Diamonds are much better, but it is not clear that diamonds (rather than, say, spades) is what I want led.

(b) Is there a better bid than 4S? I would think that 3D would indicate 17+ and no spade support.