Note:  We’ll be talking about some medical stuff and bodily functions, so if the idea of surgery or medical stuff or talk about menstruation products grosses you out, this is maybe a good episode for you to skip.

Alicia Ruthrauff is a product development engineer working for the Secant Group. She’s also a knitter, and we chat about fiber and design and medical uses for textile design.

<figure id="attachment_342" style="width: 594px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">A repair option for an aortic aneurism, on the left you can see the mesh being deployed from a tiny tube, and on the right, the finished repair.</figcaption></figure>

Interview Notes:

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    • The Secant Group, where Alicia works
    
    
    • How Stents work… and btw, they’re named for Charles Thomas Stent
    
    
    • Monofilament fiber vs multifilament fiber and why you might choose one over the other
      

      <figure id="attachment_338" style="width: 960px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Suture Structure. Monofilament /Multifilament.</figcaption></figure>

    
    
    • Banana Fiber Menstrual Pads! They’re super absorbent and biodegradable, plus they use waste fibers from banana production.
    
    
    • Days for Girls, donate if you can.
    
    
    • Green/Sustainable Menstrual Products, including menstrual cup options.
    
    
    • Reusable Menstrual Pad Options, plus… not pink. Cause not everything uterus owners use needs to be fucking pink.
    
    
    • How to prevent Pelvic Floor Prolapse
    
    
    • Warp Knitting and Weft Knitting illustrated<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U1bk4ZI0Qvc" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
    
    
    • Bobbin Lace! If you want to start actually seeing how it goes together, start at about 12 minutes in.<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/isYHUM-JRLM" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
    
    
    • 3D Orthagonal Weaving
    
    
    • How laproscopy works – Laproscopic Surgery
    
    
    • What is a fistula?
    
    
    • Our cat fountain (affiliate link)
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

You can join the patreon at patreon.com/miriamfelton.

You can follow me in all my making at Miriam Felton Knit Designs on Facebook, and on Twitter or Instagram at mimknits.

I’m live-streaming from my studio at Twitch.tv/MimIsMaking on Mon, Thu, Fri : 1 – 2:30 pm Mountain Time. Use this time converter to find what time that is for you.

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If you’re enjoying this podcast please consider sharing it with a friend, posting about it on social media, or leaving a rating or review in iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Facebook, or wherever. You can also join the Friends of YarnStories Ravelry group if that’s more your thing. And thank you so much for listening!

This podcast was produced in Salt Lake City UT, with production help from Sid Fallon. Music is by the ever illusive Breakmaster Cylinder.

<figure id="attachment_340" style="width: 350px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Another aneurism repair option</figcaption></figure>

Thank you so much for listening! I’ll be back here in two weeks with a DEEP DEEP DIVE into Superwash wool processes.