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Bernadine's Cat & Bird Gloves
Bernadine's Cat & Bird Gloves
Ships within 1–2 business days
90-day money-back guarantee
Tracked shipping across Canada
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Bernadine's Cat & Bird Gloves
Knitted & stitched by hand in Mabou, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Bernadine’s Cat & Bird Gloves
FINAL BATCH · ONLY 103 PAIRSSoft knitted winter gloves with a little secret: a black cat stitched into the left palm and a tiny bird near the tip of the right middle finger. Put your hands together, and the cat looks up at the bird.
“Every single one goes through my own two hands.”
“People open their hands, they look, and then they smile. Every single one. That’s why I kept making them for fifteen winters.”
Bernadine MacIsaac, 74, Mabou, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Made by hand in a farmhouse kitchen in Mabou
Bernadine MacIsaac knitted her first pair in 2011 for her husband Lauchie, who feeds the chickadees from his hand every winter morning. Their black cat Tansy used to watch him from the kitchen windowsill. So Bernadine stitched Tansy onto one palm and a chickadee onto the other, and when Lauchie cupped his hands for the seed, Tansy was finally watching her bird up close.
The neighbours wanted a pair. Then the church, then the Christmas craft fair in the parish hall. For fifteen winters Bernadine knitted about five pairs a week by the wood stove and embroidered every cat and every bird herself. Arthritis has now made the fine stitching too hard. These 103 pairs are the very last, and her granddaughter Shayla ships them from Mabou.
— Bernadine
What arrives at your door
- One pair of Bernadine’s Cat & Bird Gloves in the colour you choose
- Knitted by hand, cat and bird embroidered by hand
- Folded in tissue paper by Bernadine herself, ready to give
How the little picture works
Six things that make them Bernadine’s
NO. 01
A picture that completes itself
The cat sits low on the left palm, the bird near the tip of the right middle finger. Together they tell a tiny story every time you hold out your hands.
NO. 02
Stitched, not printed
Each cat is hundreds of small stitches laid side by side. You can feel the embroidery with your thumb. That is how you know it’s one of hers.
NO. 03
A long ribbed cuff
About 7 cm of snug ribbing that tucks under your coat sleeve, so the cold stays out at the wrist.
NO. 04
Soft, stretchy knit
A fine, even knit that stretches over the knuckles and moves with your fingers, so you can still button a coat or hold a cup.
NO. 05
One size, honestly described
About 22 cm long and 12.5 cm across the palm. Comfortable on most women’s hands; very large hands may find them snug.
NO. 06
Ready to give
Most pairs go to someone else: mothers, sisters, friends who love cats or birds. They arrive folded in tissue, no wrapping needed.
The four colours of the last batch
Oatmeal
Warm, undyed-looking beige with a black cat. The one Lauchie wears.
Dusty Rose
A soft, muted pink with a black cat. The most-gifted colour.
Slate Grey
A cool, heathered grey with a black cat. Goes with every coat.
Midnight Black
Deep black with a silver-grey cat and bird that stand out at dusk.
Bernadine’s gloves vs. the look-alikes online
| Bernadine’s gloves | Discount-site copies | |
|---|---|---|
| Cat & bird | Embroidered by hand, you can feel the stitches | Printed or ironed on |
| The bird | Placed so the cat looks right at it | Often on the wrong finger |
| Cuff | Long ribbed cuff that tucks under a sleeve | Short, thin cuff |
| Who made it | One woman in Mabou, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia | Unknown factory |
| Guarantee | 90 days, money back | Rarely |
Perfect for
Bernadine’s 90-day money-back guarantee
Wear them through the cold weeks, hold your hands together a hundred times. If they don’t win you over, send them back within 90 days and you get your money back. No hard feelings, and no questions asked.
Ships within 1–2 business days from Mabou, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
Questions people ask Shayla
Are they warm enough for a real Cape Breton winter?
They are soft, everyday winter gloves for walks, errands, the bus stop and the bird feeder. On the coldest, windiest days Bernadine wears them under a pair of mittens, the way people on the island have always done.
Can I use my phone with them on?
No. The fingertips are plain knit, just like the gloves Bernadine has always made. You’ll need to slip one off to use a touchscreen.
Is every pair exactly the same?
Very nearly. Because each cat and bird is stitched by hand, you may notice tiny differences in the tilt of an ear or the curve of a tail. Bernadine says that is how you tell a real one.
Which colour should I choose as a present?
Dusty Rose has always been the most-gifted colour at the craft fair. Oatmeal goes with almost any coat, and Midnight Black is the favourite of people who love the silver cat.
Will there be more later?
No. These 103 pairs are the last Bernadine will make. When they are gone, the shop corner closes.
Care & fit
Hand wash in cold water with a little mild soap, press the water out gently in a towel and lay flat to dry. Don’t wring them and don’t iron over the embroidery. The gloves are one size: about 22 cm long and 12.5 cm across the palm, with a soft stretch. If you have very large hands, they will feel snug.
Product details
| Made by | Bernadine MacIsaac, Mabou, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia |
| Construction | Hand-knitted, five fingers, long 1x1 ribbed cuff |
| Motif | Cat on the left palm, bird on the right middle finger, both hand-embroidered |
| Colours | Oatmeal, Dusty Rose, Slate Grey (black motif) · Midnight Black (silver-grey motif) |
| Size | One size · approx. 22 cm (8.7 in) long, 12.5 cm (4.9 in) across the palm |
| Care | Hand wash cold, lay flat to dry |
| Availability | Final batch of 103 pairs, no restock |
| Shipping | Within 1–2 business days |
| Guarantee | 90-day money-back guarantee |
The Final Series
The Final Series
Some things are made by one pair of hands, for decades, and then never again.
The Final Series is the last work of craftspeople who are putting down their tools. No factory, no successor, no second batch.
Just the final pieces from their workshops, each one shaped by a lifetime of getting it right.
When they're gone, they're gone.
Shipping to Canada
Shipping to Canada
Tracked shipping across Canada
- Ships within 1–2 business days
- Every pair is folded in tissue paper by Bernadine herself
- Hand-knitted and hand-embroidered, one size (about 22 x 12.5 cm)
- 90-day money-back guarantee — just email support@backroad-goods.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Got a question? Here’s how to reach us.
Got a question? Here’s how to reach us.
Email us anytime at support@backroad-goods.com. We answer Monday–Friday 9am–5pm and Saturday 10am–3pm (ET) — whether it’s about your order, a gift, or just to say hello.
Can I return it if it’s not for me?
Can I return it if it’s not for me?
Of course. 90-day money-back guarantee. Wear them through the cold weeks, and if they simply aren’t right for you, email support@backroad-goods.com within 90 days for a full refund. No questions asked.
How are they made?
How are they made?
Every pair is knitted by hand by Bernadine MacIsaac in Mabou, Cape Breton, on four double-pointed needles. The little cat on the left palm and the tiny bird on the right middle finger are embroidered by hand afterwards in dense satin stitch. Four colours: Oatmeal, Dusty Rose and Slate Grey with a black cat, Midnight Black with a silver-grey cat. This is her final batch of 103 pairs, no restock.