BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – It was only a short four years ago that a presidential inauguration day put a Vermont teacher on the map.

Vermonter Jen Ellis’ hand-sewn mittens worn by Senator Bernie Sanders ignited a social media firestorm.

Thousands of people reached out to buy the gloves, so she partnered with Vermont Teddy Bear and now anyone can get mittens of a similar design.

Every mitten is unique and made out of repurposed sweaters. A portion of every sale goes to the group Outright Vermont.

“You know, I basically just decided that the mittens couldn’t really be sold as they used to be sold, that they really… that the best use for them was going to be for the good of many,” Ellis said.

She also wrote the memoir “Bernie’s Mitten Maker” in which she details the story behind the mittens — and her life — before and after the viral meme.

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