Hong Kong, Jan. 25 -- Jennifer Ellis has never met Bernie Sanders but she is enjoying a taste of his celebrity as the woman behind the mittens that gave the Vermont senator his viral moment at President Joe Biden's inauguration.

Ellis, a 42-year-old elementary school teacher, lived a quiet life in the Vermont town of Essex Junction - until Wednesday. She was teaching a class online like any other day, as Biden was being sworn in when her phone started pinging with texts. The messages were all the same, Ellis told AFP via a video interview: "Bernie Sanders is wearing your mittens!"

Not your typical hand warmers, they are made from repurposed wool sweaters and fleece made from recycled plastic bottles for the inside lining. The ones Sande...