Mittens!

So, I signed up for this mitten-along......but I live in Florida, so we don't really need mittens here. I've been thinking about mittens for whom and from what and do I need a pattern.....First I was thinking Dulaan. An obvious choice. Then started to think about my mother (she lives in Connecticut now), and the mittens that she had when she was in college that her grandma made for her, with a special hand side that had a nubby stitch so that she could hold onto her ski poles better.....Now what was that stitch? I wish I could see the mittens for an example. It had a texture like seed stitch, but it was pretty small. I have some turqouise Cascade 220 superwash, that is "her color" and it would go with the airplane (my folks have a Cessna from the mid 1960's, it's Turqouise, black and white. Very 60's) Did you know you could google the N-number and you would get the registration info on file with the feds? No pictures though.

So, how do you make mittens? Are they like socks with a thumb and no heel and they fit your hands?