Teach me about your special interest(s)

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Hi there. The title is pretty self-explanatory: I'd like to know all about your special interest(s). Tell me why you enjoy the things you enjoy, what about them strikes you as interesting, what should I know if I want to appreciate them as well, are they ordinary or eccentric, how devoted are you to your passions? Don't be shy now, I'm all ears!

I like technical clothing. I got into collecting it after getting wet riding my bicycle. I started to buy second hand jackets and ended up with a few to compare. Some of the cheaper cycling jackets incorporated really good features for example pockets that are set a little higher up than normal, which means that phones or keys don't constantly bang against your thighs when pedaling. Some of the more expensive jackets have annoying design faults such as zips that get caught when you do them up with one hand. I started to appreciate the detailing that goes into the design of these items.

Despite owning quite a few bits and bobs I usually end up taking the same items with me when I'm camping and the hobby is all about refining what works best for my needs. At the moment I'm in the process of having a clear out, which means that I'm selling several tents and bits of clothing. This stuff crops up at charity shops (thrift shops) occasionally and I'm able to pick out items that I can test, then sell on if it doesn't suit me. I'm currently selling two tents that I picked up cheap, but are quite sought after and putting the money towards the tent that I'm really after. The more research that I do, the easier it becomes to pick out items that I might want to keep, or can sell on for a profit and pay for more stuff.

It all ties in with my other hobbies of cycling, camping and visiting charity shops and recycling centers. I don't mean to become a trader, as such it's just become a convenient way of getting good kit. I have the same approach towards buying bicycles A little knowledge can help you leap frog your way up the ladder and end up with a nice ride, for little cash and have the experience of trying and testing lots of equipment at the same time.

One of them is avoiding repetition. https://www.compositesworld.com/columns ... le-history

Everything I do is tied to a special interest. While they're not as impressively technical as Fnord's accomplishments I do like:

Maintaining my old Corolla, driving low speeds on scenic roads. 55 MPH is fine. 45 is great. 70 is possible but the aceleration is glacially slow.
Catholic Church history and ritual
Antiques
Repairing and collecting prewar typewriters (up next to fix, a 1941 Royal KMM: my Remington 12 needs new platens after I wrote a fairly long novel on the original 1927 rubber)
Clocks--I can't fix them but I think they're neat.
Horses are nice. Never owned one but they are so nice to be around.
Vintage Radios! (1929 Atwater-Kent 46 and F-2 Speaker, and 1939 Crosley Fiver tombstone tele-dial)
Edwardian era through 1940s menswear. I don't go out without some piece of period dress.
Old music is my jam. I have over 1000 78s and Edison cylinder records, and play them on antique phonographs from 1909 up through 1936. Five machines are restored, and one is due to be salvaged from storage.
FOUNTAIN PENS! Need I say more? They're just cool. It's a pen, and it never needs thrown away. I love them! My oldest is a Waterman from 1915.
Sewing is fun. I have a sewing machine and like trying to modify garments. Right now I'm wearing pants I altered into a 1930s high-waisted style.
Writing books is a lot of fun too. I'm doing a synopsis for a novel I did that is currently undergoing review at the publishers' and hopefully will be in print next year!
I also like animals. Cats are nice, dogs can be lots of fun.
Favorite scenery--out away from loud traffic and modern technology.

Staying busy is fun. I can't allow myself to get stagnant--I just get out and do it. It's not great, because I'm almost self-destructively busy, but I do not want to go through life without doing some cool stuff.

Crafting. Just crafting.
And I mean just crafting, not a specific type of crafting alone.

Doesn't matter how, it can be done aimlessly.
As aimless as knowing the names and textures of every materials you come across.
Or as aimless as knowing what technique is this called, what brand is this, etc.

Or technical and orderly, by choosing one medium first (visual/auditory/etc.) And how it is made of.
Start 'average size' or small, and simple.
Then just start with YouTube or Google search.

Or go philosophical, where crafting becomes a context of your daily life.
Or go conceptual, where it can be applied across every interest you come across. It can affect one's cognition and perception with consistent practice...

Gained Number Post Count (1).
Lose Time (n).

Lose more time here - Updates at least once a week.

-Watch game shows look for patterns and unusual occurrences, playing along too (Wheel of Fortune, Make a deal, Family Feud, Cark Shark, Press your luck …)

-Solve crossword puzzles

-Play a single PlayStation game over and over getting all the items, and completing it with an eloquence. I play problem-solving games like "Drake's Fortune"

-Play virtual casino blackjack - try and maintain a 44% win rate (besting basic strategy)

-Watch for patterns and unusual occurrences in detective tv shows, like Homicide Hunter (seen all), 911 Calls (seen all), Homicide Files (see all), Hercule Poirot (see all episodes), Miss Marples (see all episodes), Monk (seen all) …Columbo (seen most) and many others

I NEED TO ORDER THINGS. I NEED TO SOLVE PROBLEMS.

That sounds wonderful! Your hobby of bookmaking is really interesting--with your interest in writing, you could write the book and then bind it how you want.

Crochet and knitting sound like fun too.

I'm impressed with the variety of your interests. Keep having fun!

I'm not sure these are special interests but these are some interests of mine:-

Writing - I enjoy writing stories, either creepypastas or stories about kids/families.
To write a creepypasta I try to have the story include lots of death and gore but at the same time it cannot make the reader sad. It's supposed to give the reader the creeps, and it doesn't always have to be supernatural.

Rats - since I got pet rats I seem to have become very interested in them, and I know lots of little facts about them now and how to look after them well, although I'm still learning and information on the internet can be so contradictive so I just have to learn some stuff through trial and error.

British humour shows - I often get myself emotionally attached to characters from British comedies like Bottom, Absolutely Fabulous, On The Buses, Outnumbered and the Inbetweeners, and many more. I find them so hilarious.

For Joe90.

https://youtu.be/GZuaKhafUmU

Joe90, those are really captivating and fulfilling interests! They don't have to be stereotypically Aspie things. I adore British humor--it's easier for me to follow as it doesn't seem as cruel as American humor. And creepypastas and other short stories are an art form in their own right. Post some, please! We'd love it, I'm sure.

Are rats as affectionate and smart as everyone says?

Not sure how to teach games cause some of them explain how to play ever since I had a Super Nintendo and watched the making of Donkey Kong Country I've been enjoying since.