How To Craft HQ Items?

I have a L20 Weaver, so I've made a bunch of stuff. However, I can't figure out what I have to do to make HQ "armor."

Yes, I use HQ mats in all slots. Yes, I bump up the quality, but I can't get above about 40% or so because I fear going bust and crapping out. Yes, I use Maker's Mend to save the day when a couple of steps produce duds. Yes, I use the "improve the next five steps" action to cover the last three or four steps. Yes, I use the "don't go bust" action as my last action to prevent ruining my item and losing everything.

No, I don't use Observe. I don't know why I would want to skip a step.

So...., what am I missing? I have yet to make a HQ item that requires five or more steps to complete. I can easily make HQ Cotton Thread and HQ Undyed Cotton Cloth because they have become one-step actions.

Please advise....

Observe lets you skip a step in hopes that the little "Normal" becomes "Good" or "Excellent". "Good" gives you 150% of the quality and "Excellent" gives you 400%. (I think)

Also, I would level up Culinarian to 15 to get thier cross class ability that doesn't use CP. (Names escape me) Then you can keep your condition up and spam that skill and get as close to 100% as you can.

take up other jobs & make ur own equipments to boost ur weaving skill. secondary jobs are pretty much interdependent w/ each other unless theres somebody can supply u some weaving equipments.
Needles came from goldsmith
Spinning Wheels came from carpenter
Gloves & boots came from leathermaker/carpenter/weaver
Hats came from leathermaker/weaver
Necklace & rings came from goldsmith/leathermaker
Expendible boost came from culinary - i hoarded a mass supply of Frumenty & Mint Lassi yesterday for crafting boost

Im still new to this game but am quiet fond on how comprehensive teh crafting on this game but not as crazy as FF14 1.0 crafting.
Kinda funny my weaving lvl is higher than my main job xD

I'm not that high yet, at 36 weaving but I stopped using Master's Mend and Master's Mend II long ago. Might use it when I craft higher level stuffs but not needed yet. What I usually do before Great Strides is synth till you have 1 step of Careful Synthesis left, use Inner Quiet, Great Hands, Waste Not (gives you 2 more attempts at 56 CP, more reasonable to mend for me, lv15 LTW) and if I use either Basic Touch or Hasty Touch (lv15 CUL) depending on amounts of CP I have left till one more step and the item breaks to use Careful Synthesis to finish it. I'd make crafting gears first then whatever else after. This way, you have a bunch of touch actions in a row, more chances for a good or excellent to show up. After Great Strides, use it before Great Hand and use your best touch action right after Waste Not if a Good or Excellent didn't show up after Great Strides or Great Hand. HQ accessories will give you enough CP to use more basic and intermediate touches.

Or level a bit more. by the time you are 10 levels over an item, you can usually get HQ pretty easily.

I've got a good plan of attack that I've made hundreds of HQ items with....Inner Quiet, Steady Hand, Waste Not and then I use my touch skill, until I know I need to stop which depends on item. I pay great attention to the "mood"(I think that's what they call it) and if it changes to excellent I hit my touch skill right away, if its poor I observe or use synthesis. hope that helps!!

This is my rotation for 40 Durability Items.

"Great Strides"
"Steady Hand"
"Standard Touch"
"Great Strides"
"Standard Touch"
"Great Strides"
"Standard Touch"
"Steady Hand"
"Standard Synthesis"

Of course some things can be swapped out like standard touch/synthesis with its basic version. Also if you do not have Great Strides yet you can skip it and just use "Steady Hands" ---> "Touch x 3" ---> "Synthesis"

Creating 70+ Durability items pretty much follows the same path, I am sure you can see you might need to add an extra Synthesis in there. Currently I am making a decent fortune off of making HQ Undyed Velvateen. I can by the basic mats for about 30k, create items and resell them for about 90k.

Cross Class skills are your best friend IMHO

Alchemy at level 15 gives the skill "Tricks of the Trade" ... I use this skill whenever a "Good" rating is on my items and gain back 20CP for free
Rumination from a level 15 Carpenter is awesome for that last ditch attempt at completing synthesis if things have gone pear shaped, it grants a CP bonus based on your Inner Quiet stacks.

It's all about Inner Quiet stacks ;)

My rotation currently on my 28 Leather for 40 Dura is;
Inner Quiet
Steady Hand
Great Strides
Standard Touch
Great Strides
Standard Touch
Great Strides
Standard Touch
If CP is there i will mend otherwise I Rapid Synthesis (if 2 Basics are required) - Basic Synthesis if Steady hands is up (its 100% if it is) I have never used Careful Synthesis :)

Keeping my steady hands up, and Tricks of the Trade on every "Good" quality that pops I can slip in a Waste Not usually but prefer to Mend as you can waste the Waste Not if you want to Trick of the Trade during its 4 moves. Of course hit every Excellent with a touch, HQ% after this typically sits at 98-100%

On a 40 dura item I don't often not see it below 85% with NQ mats
On a 70 dura item (which I don't Mend) it will ding it in 1 go at 80ish percent with no Tricks of the Trade on a level 30 item.

This guide, posted in an earlier thread is awesome btw http://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/commen..._let_crafters/

Thank you, all, for the helpful information. I will soon become a better crafter because of your kindness.

You should try leveling alchemist for tricks of the trade , goldsmith for manipulation , and culinarian for hasty touch . Armor's rapid synthesis and leatherworks waste not want not are also useful . I basically start off with Inner quiet , steady hand , hasty touch down to 20 then manipulation ( use tricks of the trade everytime good quality comes up), this keeps the crafting going and gives a better chance of HQ items . Use standard touch whenever an excellent comes up . Use master mend 2 on durability 70/80 items instead of manipulation (at 10/70 or 20/80 ).