Warmest Mittens Pattern Warning

I started this pattern last week in an effort to make myself a pair of mittens.  I have found that if you have a larger hands like I do the number of stitches it says to cast on is NOT enough.  I knitted this up a little ways and found that it was too tight and had to tear it out.  Instead of the required 36 stitches I have cast on 45 stitches on attempt number 2.  I'm hoping that this is the magic number.