Book excerpt: For years, students have asked knitting instructor Mary Scott Huff for a book on their favorite topic--knitting mittens--but one that empowers them to create their own mittens their own way. This is that book. The Mitten Handbook is much more than an instruction book--it provides a list of mitten ingredients (thumbs, cuffs, tops, edgings, and different constructions), then outlines the best tools and techniques for readers to combine them to knit their own unique creations. The book is organized into three sections. The first presents mitten elements, with a menu of choices that makes get­ting custom results easy. The second section covers the key aspects of construction, including how to measure for the perfect fit, yarn and gauge considerations, and which direction to knit. And the final section provides 20 complete mitten patterns.