My very first ever mitten.

My sister M requested mittens for Christmas. I still don't know if I'll make them for her or not, but my first mitten (a test) turned out well, if a bit wide. It was a lot easier than I thought, once I figured out that a "gore" was the same thing as a "gusset". I don't think that Folk Mittens does a very good job of explaining the construction of a mitten - they need more pictures to go with the explanations - but boy are there some great mittens in there.

But here's what I don't get:
a) I have large hands. I usually have to buy men's gloves because women's aren't made large enough.
b) I followed the directions for a women's size medium (no measurements specified).
c) I got gauge.

So why is it that:
d) they are about an inch too wide for my hand?

Are mittens supposed to be loose? I haven't had any since I was a little kid, but it seems like they should be snug.