Woman who made Sanders’s mittens says she’s sold out

A Vermont teacher who made the mittens Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) wore in the viral image from President Biden’s inauguration Wednesday says she no longer has any of the now-famous mittens for sale. 

Jen Ellis had made mittens on the side and gave Sanders a pair after he lost a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, BuzzFeed News political reporter Ruby Cramer tweeted Wednesday. 

Bernie’s mittens are made by Jen Ellis, a teacher from Essex Junction, Vt. She gave them to him 2+ years ago and was surprised when he began wearing them on the campaign trail. They are made from repurposed wool sweaters and lined with fleece made from recycled plastic bottles. pic.twitter.com/ErLr29lY2t

— Ruby Cramer (@rubycramer) January 20, 2021

The mittens, which Ellis wrote in a January 2020 tweet are made of repurposed wool sweaters and lined with fleece made from plastic water bottles, gained attention when Sanders began wearing them on the campaign trail while eyeing the 2020 Democratic nomination. 

Ellis tweeted at the time that she had received “huge support” for the mittens, which she labeled with the hashtag #berniesmittens. 

Wow! I am completely humbled by the huge support for Bernie and the mittens I made for him!! What started out as a simple act of kindness more than 2 years ago has grown into something beyond my imagination! Thanks everyone! The world is a beautiful place. #berniesmittens

— Jen Ellis (@vtawesomeness) January 24, 2020

Then came Wednesday, when Sanders once again appeared wearing the mittens. Memes of the senator have taken social media by storm, with Twitter users editing him into images from “Star Wars” and “Game of Thrones.” 

Ellis Wednesday evening tweeted that she had received overwhelming interest in the mittens, thanking followers and adding that she was “flattered that Bernie wore them to the inauguration.” 

“Sadly, I have no more mittens for sale,” Ellis wrote, adding, “There are a lot of great crafters on ETSY who make them.” 

Thanks for all the interest in Bernie’s mittens! It truly has been an amazing and historic day! I’m so flattered that Bernie wore them to the inauguration. Sadly, I have no more mittens for sale. There are a lot of great crafters on ETSY who make them. -Jen Ellis,

— Jen Ellis (@vtawesomeness) January 21, 2021

Ellis did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment. 

Sanders on Wednesday defended his casual inauguration attire, telling CBS News’s Gayle King in an interview that he was more worried about warmth than appearance when choosing his outfit that day.

“In Vermont, we know something about the cold,” Sanders explained, “and we’re not so concerned about good fashion.”