How Rockfordians Can Get Their Own Pair of ‘Bernie’ Smittens

If there is one specific thing many millennials will remember about President Joe Biden's inauguration there is a good chance it won't even be about Biden himself. Instead, many of us will recall Vermont's Senator, Bernie Sanders.

By now you have seen at least one rendition of the thousands of means which feature Bernie Sanders sitting in a folding chair with his mitted hands folded in his lap. This might be the greatest meme to happen in 2021 and we're not even remotely close to the end of the year, What is even better is, thanks to someone's investigative skills, you too could own a similar pair of mittens worn by Senator Sanders, which are called 'smittens'. (Smittens are a pair of mittens made from a sweater.)

Sure, you might be able to find a relative or nearby neighbor who could whip you up a pair of mittens that are guaranteed to be the fad of 2021's first winter season, but why not go straight to the source, kind of.

The creator of these warm winter accessories is Jen Ellis, of Essex Junction, Vermont and ever since the public found who made Bernie's mittens, she's been inundated with orders. In fact, her smittens are in such high demand she has partnered with the Vermont Teddy Bear company.

Jen is our neighbor and a second-grade teacher in Essex Junction, VT. She and a partner began making Vermont Swittens years ago to sell locally. Each one is unique as they are made from retired wool sweaters, they are finished with a warm fleece lining made from recycled plastic (similar to the stuffing in our Bears!).

The bad news: they're already sold out. The good news: there's a waiting list to sign up for here. If you aren't interested in a waitlist and have money lying around, Jen is auctioning off a few pairs of these smittens via eBay but it'll come at a cost. As of this writing, the bidding rests at over $1,800. You can place your bid here.

JB Love is ½ of  Q98.5's Lil Zim & JB In The Morning, weekday mornings from 5:00 a.m. to 10 a.m. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.