Bernie's Mitten Maker

by Jen Ellis

Bernie’s Mitten Maker is a raw and honest account of the joy, stress, and shock of sudden internet fame. Told with captivating storytelling, this memoir explores the many roads that led to the Bernie Sanders mitten meme sensation that followed the 2021 presidential inauguration. Jen Ellis’s debut publication reads like an intimate conversation with an old friend. Vermont teacher, mother, and crafter, Ellis weaves the stories of her life together with humor and thoughtful insight. She shares her struggles with childhood trauma, infertility, and homophobia and shows us how crafting can build community and generosity can bring joy. At the root of the Bernie Sanders mitten meme story, there was a gift. It was a simple gesture that brought joy. The strange and wonderful way these mittens became an iconic symbol of one of the most historic elections in American history is a story worth remembering and repeating. Even in one of our darkest hours, when our world was gripped by the sorrow and loss of the Covid-19 pandemic, we experienced a global moment of laughter. We were able to reach across the partisan divide and share memes with people who didn't agree with on us any other topic. This moment showed us that we can laugh together; we can heal together; we can move on. My gift sparked millions of memes and countless moments of joy, and it is my hope that this joy will continue to spread when this book is shared worldwide. This is my Bernie’s Mitten Maker.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir

280 pages, Paperback

Published May 2, 2023

Reviews

[Susanne MacArthur · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a crafter, a person who has experienced infertility issues, an LGBTQ+ person or an ally, a teacher, a mother, a daughter, a spouse, a friend, an introspective and honest human being trying to take care of yourself and those you love, this book will ring true and clear as a bell and help you understand and accept yourself more deeply. A subtitle could easily be “How to Find and Celebrate Joy in a Difficult World.” The episodes that Jen pulls from her life are stitched together in her book to fit like the warm and cozy mittens that Bernie wore to the 2021 inauguration. Bravissima!

Susanne MacArthur
High School English Teacher, retired
University of Southern Maine, Instructor, Graduate Literacy Program, retired

[Leneice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging story that will hold your attention like a conversation over coffee with a friend who's been through a whirlwind of celebrity, while seeking to embrace universal values that will help her weather the storm. It is a gift to have her insights into coping with trauma, infertility, homophobia, and more than 15 minutes of fame. The reader will be impressed with Jen's honesty and effort to stay grounded, and to find the correct balance among the myriad forces having an impact on the life of her family. Her honesty and ability to identify the path that will serve her best are a triumph.

[Emilia Carlisle · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best, most poignant, and important books of my life. Jen Ellis has an incredible literary voice. The timing of her writing combined with her skill for storytelling makes for such a pleasurable reading experience. I was moved beyond measure by this memoir. I randomly picked up this book at an enchanting little bookstore on Church Street in Burlington, Vermont while I was on a work trip. I made my way through several other stories on my TBR before committing time to read this. Once I started it, I couldn't put it down. There was something so serendipitous about leaning into this story at this exact moment of my life. I read the work of Jen Ellis at a time when I critically needed to be reminded of the goodness that still exists in the world. I needed to reconnect with my humanity and be pushed in a direction that romanticizes the simple beauty of ordinary things that have the power to become extraordinary when we have the courage to look at them through the lens of love. What a generous gift this book is! I can't wait to share it.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The stories felt so relatable, and were told in a way that really captured the range of emotions that I think many people have/would have in similar situations. Though I’ve never been a teacher, I loved the teacher stories. Though I’ve never tried to have a child, I loved the humor and sorrow of that story. I don’t even know how to sew, and yet I loved hearing about the deep connection the author has to fabric and sewing machines! Of course the book shares new details/background to the story of the mittens that many people are already familiar with - so if you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to be famous overnight, this is good insight for that - but it’s woven among many touching memories of the author’s life which were even more interesting to me. I appreciated that the book is not overly political - but instead focuses on themes of humanity, and the power that one person can have in another person’s life. The author makes a compelling case for the importance of knowing one’s self and holding onto that truth through all of life’s ups and downs.

[Melanie Bartlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished devouring Bernie’s Mitten Maker and it was such a fascinating story! It was heartfelt and drew me in, right away. Bernie Mitten memes brought us all so many smiles and laughs- it connected us. This book brought me right back to a specific moment in history and pop culture, when we needed those laughs so much. Of course, this book covers the story leading up to Bernie receiving those now-famous mittens and the aftermath of the viral memes, but also shares a truly compelling story of the author’s life. It’s a deeply personal and vulnerable story, with themes of queer identity, motherhood, being a teacher (especially during the pandemic!), community, friendship and the beauty and power of crafting.

After reading this, I immediately made a mental note of several people in my life who would love it. Seems only appropriate to buy them this book as a gift. I can’t wait to share it!

[Christine Scherting · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I highly recommend! Reading this story in 2025, this book is a reminder that each of us can make a difference in the lives of others with simple acts of kindness, thoughtfulness, and care.

Everyone probably remembers the memes of Bernie and the mittens. The story behind them is fascinating, and they provide the “thread” throughout all the other stories from a daughter, granddaughter, wife, mother, friend, teacher, and crafter.

Her stories and her engaging writing will draw you in and keep you. Even with traumatic and heart-breaking experiences woven in, this book is like comfort food! It’s so warm, cozy, sweet, and inviting.

[Danielle Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sit down on a cozy afternoon and get drawn into the life of a Vermont educator and crafter. Jen Ellis sets out expecting her talent for making mittens is the perfect creative outlet to balance her true calling but all that changes on Inauguration day 2021 at the hands of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.
You'll feel as though you're right there with her as Jen takes you through the trials and tribulations of instant mitten fame. Situated in picturesque New England, Bernie's Mitten Maker is impossible to put down as Jen weaves her way through her very compelling story.

[Bonney Teti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. Very well written and tells an authentic story of instant fame and the issues it brings.

[Beth Peloquin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jen Ellis' story is a page turner--literally. I rarely cannot put a book down and often struggle to find time to read, but I made the time to read this cover to cover in a weekend. The story of this Vermont crafter goes far beyond the famous mittens she made for Bernie Sanders that took the world by storm. She shares how she has used sewing, quilting, and crafting as a way of healing past traumas and coping with anxiety. Becoming famous by accident has its share of stresses, and Ellis shares them all, without being overly dramatic. She also shares the realities of being a teacher during Covid in a small, rural school in Vermont, with its ups and downs. The narrative will sustain you, as crafty Jen Ellis weaves her story with laughter, tears, trauma and triumph stitched throughout. Don't let it pass you by.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

You may remember the Bernie Sanders memes that circulated after Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration. A rather grumpy-looking Bernie, wearing a beige parka, sitting on the Capitol steps wearing distinctively patterned mittens, suddenly went viral—to the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise, to a bench with Forrest Gump, to the Batman universe. Bernie’s Mitten Maker tells the story of the woman who made the mittens that inspired the meme. Its title suggests a focus on the mitten making….but this wonderful memoir is so much more than a tale of sudden and specific fame. It’s a story about how you can discover, lose, and find yourself through creativity and connection. It’s a story about the importance of acknowledging grief and making room for healing. It’s a story about tracing and recreating generational connections—and a story about boldly creating new pathways that honor those who have helped us grow. Jen Ellis tells us her story, through some childhood adversity into periods of self-discernment. Even as she moves from Maine to Vermont to North Carolina and back again, she carries community through space and time. She chronicles the ways crafting helped her recover from trauma, helped her find her center, helped her celebrate connections. She chronicles the way generosity lies at the root of joy. She chronicles the importance of saying thank you to the people who made us feel important, and she chronicles the importance of telling our own stories and creating joy to share. And yes, she chronicles the story of making mittens, and the surprisingly uncomfortable ways that sudden fame changed her life for a time. But you don’t need to be a crafter to enjoy this book. Anyone with an interest in how we navigate our identities and find our home in a shifting and complicated world will enjoy this story that bursts with love, generosity, and creativity on every page.

[Sandal Cate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jen Ellis, a Vermont elementary classroom teacher and craftsperson with a love of sewing for others, gets unknowingly tossed from her regular life as a partner, mother and friend into the glaring spotlight of fame as “Bernie’s Mitten Maker” on the day of the 2021 national inauguration. After her challenges to meet the demands of this new role by “swimming from one maelstrom to another”, she begins to calm the waters by reaching out to friends and amazingly trustworthy organizations and Vermont companies to solve some of the huge demands from the inaugural memes of a well-known Vermont senator, Bernie Sanders. This book takes you back in Jen’s life with stories that are sweet or sour, with her amazing ability to call upon those stories as a means of bolstering her sense of who she feels she is and who she needs to remain. Very few of us can imagine these life-changing events landing in our own laps, and she does a fabulous job of including the reader in each of these character-building scenarios. This is so worth the read if you have laughed at even one of the clever and humorous memes, not knowing how it affected a generous and unassuming Vermont citizen. Jen turned a small image into a caring and far-reaching business with “warm woolen mittens.” She, along with her family, close friends and colleagues are to be appreciated for undertaking this amazing story in Bernie’s Mitten Maker.

[Kathryn Blume · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes something simple happens in the world - one of those pebble-in-a-pond moments - which ripples out in endless waves of unexpected goodness, transforming the lives of everyone it touches.

So, you'd think that Jen Ellis sending some home-made mittens to Senator Bernie Sanders would be that pebble, and that "Bernie's Mitten Maker" is the story of that pebble and its aftermath.

But really, the magic of this story is that the mittens were just one pebble in a long line of pebbles. Actually, it's more like a multi-dimensional quantum network of pebbles!

"Bernie's Mitten Maker" is really the story of so many moments of people trying to do something good for each other, and never knowing what was going to happen, but trying anyway because trying - with love and generosity and hope - is the right thing to do. It's humanity at its best.

The mittens themselves hit it big most likely because they were a simple, happy antidote to a time of monumental, overwhelming national stress. But Jen's response to the whole thing shows you that those mittens were also infused with the energy of the kind of honest, community-minded person who doesn't get a lot of airtime in these fast-spinning, fame-and-fortune-seeking days, but who, in our deepest hearts, we all aspire to be.

Enjoy.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jen Ellis is not only a wonderful teacher and crafter, she is a gifted story teller.
This is a warm and wonderful page-turner of a book full of the wisdom of an ordinary person (is there such a being?).
Some of the images are unforgettable. When she visits her brother in Alaska, they canoe out to check his shrimp pots and experience the stark fear of a whale swimming under them in deep, frigid water.
The sudden, unexpected internet whirlpool of fame when Bernie's mitten meme goes viral, is like the whale under the canoe.

There are many beautiful passages about the power of crafting and bartering to connect ppl, to make friends of strangers, and weave ppl who have passed to the present. Living in a small community in VT seems like an antidote to much of modern city life.

I especially liked her comment about teachers--it is not what they say but how they make you feel that you remember.

Bernie's mitten maker goes through dark times, but at she discovers that at the center of suffering there can also be a deeply felt joyousness.

This is a beautifully crafted, heartfelt true story.

[JulS · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book as a gift for my parents because my Mom has made these beautiful and warm mittens from old sweaters. They’re really special! I remember the super funny memes of Bernie Sanders wearing a pair of these mittens at the inauguration. However, I don’t remember anything about the woman who made and gifted them but apparently she had quite a bout of fame from it, thus the book. The book includes a lot about her political views. She’s a teacher and gives some spot on descriptions about teacher life including having to finish her report cards in the height of her popularity. She has some quite nice descriptions about life in small town Vermont, like an old man playing Santa at Christmas for decades. I am so happy that there were so many sewing references because I know my Mom would’ve related to that when she read it. I guess what I found most interesting was how fame was stressful for her and how her gift to Bernie ended up creating numerous jobs for other crafters. I would round it to a 2.5.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I watched the inauguration and thought Bernie was a hoot, sitting there, socially distanced with a big manilla envelope, seemingly grumpy that someone interrupted his busy day with this event. The memes exploded and I gathered them on my Facebook feed that day and the following week.

I thought his mittens were classic Vermont charming and Bernie-perfect, but didn’t give much thought to their origin. So, what a fun engaging quick-read of a book to learn about the Vermont 2nd grade teacher who had her life upended by gifting Bernie these mittens that she had made from upcycled sweaters and fleece.

Bonus points that she is a lesbian 🏳️‍🌈. And although she did manage to parlay the fame and mitten requests into some income streams both for her family and her favorite charities, I appreciated her thoughts about what is enough and what she wanted for her life.

Too bad that she was another teacher lost to pandemic and documentation pressures. And it was good to see her normalize having anxiety. Overall a good read with just a few redundant patches to slog through.

[Jennifer S · Rating 5 out of 5]

My plan was to sit down and binge read this wonderful book. But life got in the way and I read it in snippets, over the course of two weeks. In hindsight, I am glad that I slowed down and savored it. The author masterfully weaves between stories from her childhood and the more recent past, giving the reader a window into her life and a deep understanding of why she was so reluctant to step into the limelight after Bernie wore her now famous mittens to the Inauguration. When she recounts how she decided to try to turn the chaos into a meaningful way to support her favorite organizations, versus trying to personally capitolize on it, she restored a bit of my faith in humanity (full disclosure - I do in fact own a pair of the Darn Tough Bernie socks). This book is a must read for anyone who has ever wondered what it would be like to suddenly be famous.

[Jill Stratton · Rating 5 out of 5]

You may remember the Bernie Sanders Mitten Memes that had the world laughing and connecting when we desperately needed humor and humanity. What you may not remember is the second-grade public school teacher from Vermont who made the famous mittens: Jen Ellis.

And now you have the opportunity to know Jen's story--the story behind the mittens *and* the story behind the mitten maker. Jen's book weaves a powerful story full of love, vulnerability, generosity, creativity, and yes--that wonderful humor that inspired millions of memes. The book will have you laughing out loud at times and crying tears at other times. Jen's book reminds us that we hold both the joy and sadness of this one wild and precious life.

I loved learning more about Jen Ellis's story and strongly believe that this book will bring the world as much or maybe even more joy than the mittens she made.

[Jim Minott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking for an absorbing new book to read? Pick up a copy of “Bernie’s Mitten Maker” by Jen Ellis. With Jen’s easy flowing prose, it will take you no time to get into this book… and it will be difficult to put it back down! Written in a format similar to a memoir, Jen weaves an intriguing snapshot of many important events and struggles in her life from being a child in school to her career as a schoolteacher herself, which lead up to her sudden burst into fame as the maker of Bernie’s Mittens. Not only did Jen learn to recycle cast off sweaters into items of use and beauty, she also learned to look at life’s challenges as a way to make her own life more meaningful and beautiful. Many themes emerge as she tells her story, with the importance of human connection being paramount. So go ahead, get down to your favorite bookstore and pick up a copy!

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This brave and candid memoir is the story of someone who is at once ordinary and extraordinary. Of course, Jen Ellis came into worldwide fame through a remarkable twist of fate, but her book reveals how she--and, she suggests, perhaps all of us--can also be extraordinary in quiet and private ways.

The motif of crafting and sewing unites the story effectively, informed by joy and sorrow, wonder and trauma. Here the act of making is a healing practice and one that fosters human connections. And Jen's meditation on its role in her life yields some beautifully written lines I want to remember forever--thoughts about kindness, generosity, our responsibility to others, and our relation to the past.

[Charlie Bone · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful life story. Jen Ellis, in an act of kindness, gifts a well known (one might even say famous) politician a pair of warm mittens, having noticed he was cold at a televised outdoor event. When he is noticed wearing the mittens at Biden’s inauguration, she becomes well known as Bernie’s mitten maker. But this memoir is so much more. This is also a teacher’s tale, one that gives insight into the relationships that teachers foster to help make their time with children caring, creative, and ultimately transformational. Ellis invites us into the life she has lived in ways that bring a smile, out loud laughter, and compassion for the tougher moments she has endured. I really enjoyed this book. It is so much more than a mitten story.

[Catriona McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was going to be a little book about someone's 15 minutes of fame. What I got instead was a beautiful story about life, what is important in the world, and the joy of quilting the future by owning our histories and mindfully creating our lives. Jen Ellis does a wonderful job of drawing us into her world, and guides us through it by weaving her love of craft, teaching and humanity into every page. It is a memoir that came into being because of a single moment in time that caught the public eye, but the book is so much more than that. She is, above all, a teacher, and her words remind us that every moment has meaning, and that everything and everyone we love has an important place in our lives. I loved this book.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bernie’s Mitten Maker is a heartfelt, raw, and honest portrayal of a woman who is suddenly thrust into internet fame. Jen Ellis was a Vermont school teacher and part-time crafter who appreciated her simple life in a small community. When a gift she gave to Senator Bernie Sanders became part of a viral meme that threw her in the public eye, Ellis had to learn to navigate thousands of requests for her mittens, business proposals, and media interviews. Though the attention was overwhelming, Ellis was able to reflect back on her life and make a pathway forward for herself that was in keeping with her core values. Full of gritty honesty and a spirit of generosity, this memoir is sure to appeal to readers who enjoy unique success stories.

[Andrea M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

On my summer vacation I started and finished this sweet, funny, real memoir by Jen Ellis, the person who made and gifted Bernie Sanders’s famously memed mittens to him. The book is a love letter to sense of self, family, resilience, Vermont, embodying and healing through craft and art, with themes of trauma, fertility challenges and the miracle of IVF, building community, building partnership with your loved one, teaching 2nd graders with love, inspiration, creativity, and commitment during a global pandemic — and the story of how she found herself in this global moment of fame and attention, as an elementary school teacher in January 2021… I just highly recommend it. Great read!!! Thanks Jen Ellis for sharing yourself in this way — you’ve built something positive again.

[Honi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it loved it loved it. 💜

This book is quite relatable to me as a teacher in a small town in Vermont. I too pushed myself to make school work through Covid ups and downs and am increasingly overwhelmed everyday as a teacher.

This book had a lot of surprises and the author braved telling many of her truths. I am grateful for her generosity to important organizations in VT. 🌈

I love the stories of the author’s grandparents and the sentimental things we hang on to.

I gifted a pair of Bernie Mittens from VT Teddy Bear into a family gift swap (with this book). The mittens were fought over and are now on my niece as she travels and studies in Ireland.

I highly recommend this book. And the mittens. 🫶🏼

[Margot · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only wanted to buy a pair of mittens at a craft fair but the earnest mitten-maker, Jen, encouraged me to purchase her book as well. "What's it about?" I asked. Her (paraphrased) reply: The first half is about my early life and parts of it are hard, she says with meaningful inflection. The second half is about the famous mittens and how they impacted my life.

I am so glad I accepted Jen's encouragement. I saw many parallels to my own life in both the first part and the second. Her reflections helped me to put my own life in perspective as I empathized and cheered with Jen's struggles and success. This is a book about a generous friend, a teacher, an innovator, a fighter, a beloved granddaughter and most of all a person doing the best that she can in an imperfect world.

[Barbara Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bernie's Mitten Maker is a captivating read, well written, and comprehensive story of the author's journey through a generous gift that turned out to change many lives! Many of us were warmed by Bernie's mittens and the memes that followed, but to travel the entire back story is amazing! Ms. Ellis is a master teacher who now can add accomplished author to her resume! Her writing will have you cheering for her on every page as she shares the full story of the mittens and fascinating power of a gift to someone.

[Annie Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolute pleasure to meander through the course of our recent history, while also keeping up with Bernie's Wonderful. Mitten Maker. A lovely blend of reminders of what was going on, plus personal insight into what it feels like to be the famous Mitten Maker makes for a thoughtful and interesting read.

Details make for a feeling of "being in the room" while the fact that we each have our own "where was I" feeling about this time makes for a really personal connection for each of us within this book.
An engaging and thoughtful read.

[Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jen Ellis takes us on a wonderful, impactful and powerful ride as she shares childhood memories, the growth she experienced through college and her queer awakening along the way. But you probably know her as the wicked rad chick that made Bernie’s Mittens from all of the Bernie Sanders memes-most importantly the Joe Biden Inauguration photograph that helped even your great-great Aunt Susan’s grandmother figure out what a meme is. Great read. Some heavy themes at play but the book is truly a study in Generousity and Joy!

[Ann-Elise Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author’s voice, which was consistent and so honest throughout, kept me going. I liked how the importance of crafting anchored the story and repeatedly helped the author refocus and heal. It was a creative way of coping with anything, past or present, that could have otherwise set her off course. We all need to implement strategies to cope with small and large stressors, and the honesty, clarity and sense of humor the author provides as she deals with different stressors is inspiring and hopeful.

[Carrie Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A courageous book about the power of handicraft as personal and group therapy, in a sense. Ellis makes meaning of her life by “sewing threads,” literally and figuratively through her joys, trials and trauma. Bernie’s Mitten Maker illustrates how the thoughtful choices one makes can reap unexpected rewards (and challenges). Ellis, in sharing her stories, inspires readers to be open to serendipity, seize opportunities, treasure relationships and be change makers.