NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — It seems Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and his now iconic mittens have been seen in parts of Hampton Roads.
Local residents hopped into the viral trend and photoshopped the photo of Sanders in local places including the Virginia Living Museum, Virginia Aquarium, and Mount Trashmore among others.
The mittens were created by Vermont teacher Jane Ellis. Ellis made the mittens from repurposed wool sweaters and lined them with fleece from recycled plastic bottles.
According to Buzzfeed reporter Ruby Cramer, Ellis gifted Sanders the mittens more than two years ago and “was surprised when he began wearing them on the campaign trail.”
And even though the iconic mittens Sanders wore to President Joe Biden’s Inauguration have sold, there might just way for you to get your hands on them.
The website Ravelry provided the patterns for those wanting to knit their very own “Bernie mittens.”
From the specific pattern, the technique, sizing, and even the type of yarn, the website offered very informative notes on those hoping to wear the mittens.
The mittens were completely sold out as of 4:29 p.m. PST Wednesday — just hours after Sanders wore them to the Inauguration. In a Twitter post, Ellis thanked her followers “for all the interest in Bernie’s mittens.”
When asked by CBS about his fashion choices, Sanders had a characteristically frank answer: “In Vermont we dress warm, we know something about the cold,” he said. “And we’re not so concerned about good fashion. We want to keep warm. And that’s what I did today.”
