Woman turns Bernie Sanders' viral meme into a crochet doll, sells it for over $20,000
Tobey King said she will donate the money to Meals on Wheels America.
By AP | Updated:
AP
The woman initially posted photos of the 9-inch doll on her Instagram account, and they garnered thousands of likes and comments.
WASHINGTON: Bernie Sanders went from becoming a hit meme to a nearly $20,000-crochet doll in less than a week. After the Vermont senator went viral on social media for his simple Inauguration Day fashion choices of quirky brown mittens and over-sized olive green coat, Tobey King in Texas got to crocheting. She turned the sensational meme that trended for days into a crochet doll.
It sold for $20,300. Yes, you read that right.
“It's mind-blowing because I knew Bernie was trending because of that picture, and I already had a Bernie pattern and a Bernie doll. So, I just went and got that and I modified that super quick,” King said.
But recreating Sanders' exact look that captured people's eyes, and laughs, took King about seven hours of non-stop crocheting, in addition to the time she had invested in the design a year ago. And her attention to detail is obvious, even the iconic mittens that stole the show on Inauguration Day.
“The mittens are not that hard it's just some color changing, a special stitch,” said King.
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Tobey King speaks to her crochet Bernie Sanders doll as the bidding continues on eBay on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021 in Corpus Christi, Texas.
King, 46, initially posted photos of the 9-inch doll on her Instagram account, and they garnered thousands of likes and comments. By Saturday, she posted the doll on eBay and auctioned it for $20,300, which said she will donate to Meals on Wheels America.
Her donation was inspired by Sanders, whose campaign created sweatshirts with the meme on them and donated 100% of the proceeds to Meals on Wheel in Vermont.
“This could be my purpose; this is my new path,” King said. “This is a new way of helping people in a way that I've never been able to do before.”
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King, who lives in Corpus Christi, Texas, said more than 30,000 people bought her Sanders doll crochet pattern available on her Etsy store. She said she hopes Sanders approves of her efforts.
“I really hope that he thinks this is something cool and that I'm doing something good,” King said.
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Bernie In A Corner: Senator's Mittens Spark Meme Fest
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The inauguration ceremony of the US president and vice- president on Wednesday was a star-studded, sparkly affair with Lady Gaga, JLo and young poet Amanda Gorman giving power-packed performances. But it was Bernie Sanders who became the talk of the town without even taking the stage, and that’s just a whole new level of cool.
At the socially-distant event, the 79-year-old socialist Democrat sat far-off from the crowd on a chair with his legs crossed and mittens, made of recycled wool, on full display. The candid pose not only became the inspiration for many to let their creative juices flow, but it also found a name for it in the US media. “Grumpy chic,” the headlines read.
The Vermont Senator may have been feeling cold at the event, but his picture surely is warming up the Internet. Take a look at some of the best memes inspired by Sanders.
The inauguration ceremony of the US president and vice- president on Wednesday was a star-studded, sparkly affair with Lady Gaga, JLo and young poet Amanda Gorman giving power-packed performances. Bu..
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As the memes started rolling, Indians joined in and flooded Twitter with pictures featuring Sanders. From India Gate to random streets of the country, the politician is seen everywhere.
In one picture, the Senator is waiting while a street vendor lady prepares his snack. Another showed the 79-year-old sitting in front of the Charminar monument in Hyderabad
As the memes started rolling, Indians joined in and flooded Twitter with pictures featuring Sanders. From India Gate to random streets of the country, the politician is seen everywhere.In one picture..
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At the swearing-in of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, everyone showed up dressed in their best, but Sanders kept it casual as he layered up in a heavy winter jacket and patterned mittens, carrying a cozy vibe that only he could, which made him the first viral meme of 2021.
But who would have thought this casual look can fit in early trends as well! The memers clubbed Sanders's mitten pose in famous snapshots from the past, including the one where 11 construction workers are enjoying their break on a suspended beam (with a new addition to the group, of course).
At the swearing-in of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, everyone showed up dressed in their best, but Sanders kept it casual as he layered up in a heavy winter jacket and patterned mittens, carrying a coz..
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Did you know that Sanders was in iconic TV shows such as 'FRIENDS', 'Big Bang Theory', 'The Office' and more? Well, he was. After all, pictures don't lie.
It's impressively hilarious how the Senator's candid pose is going so well with all the epic scenes from the shows, as if he was secretly part of the cast all along and we all just simply missed it.
Did you know that Sanders was in iconic TV shows such as 'FRIENDS', 'Big Bang Theory', 'The Office' and more? Well, he was. After all, pictures don't lie.It's impressively hilarious how the Senator's..
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Just like television shows, netizens have shared tons of pictures featuring him in epic scenes from movies including 'Mean Girls', 'Hunger Games', ‘Harry Potter' and more.
In one of the pictures, the politician sits next to Tom Hanks in a scene from 'Forrest Gump'. Another frame shows Rafiki from ‘Lion King’ holding Sanders in place of Simba.
Just like television shows, netizens have shared tons of pictures featuring him in epic scenes from movies including 'Mean Girls', 'Hunger Games', ‘Harry Potter' and more.In one of the pictures, the ..
