A picture of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders sitting on a chair wearing a mask and mittens is still going viral nearly a week since President Joe Biden’s inauguration.
Now, those famous mittens have a connection to Maine.
Jen Ellis, the Vermonter behind the now-famous mittens, said it’s all thanks to her middle school home economics teacher Jeannette Collett in South Portland, who taught her how to sew.
Collett, who is now retired, said she’s thankful Ellis took the time to remember her.
“The connection is great, and I’m so happy for her that she has a lovely family and she’s doing what she loves,” Collett said. “It’s great that she used old sweaters, it’s all recycled and I think in this time and day when we’ve had so many negatives, that it’s nice to have some positives, it’s nice to know that I touched someone’s life.”
Collett has her own pair of the mittens, which she said she will keep forever.