Quote Originally Posted by Niwashi View Post
snip...
You can have multiple windows open at the same time. I usually greet my retainer, select inventory trade, then open the crafts window (keybind is N), choose the profession I'm crafting for, start withdrawing all necessary items as I make my way down the recipe lists. At no point do I have to dismiss my retainer as I'm shuffling through windows.

I hope that helps? Um... alternatively, you might find it useful to use this extremely awesome website, craftingasaservice.com... You pick which trade and what span of levels you are crafting for and it brings up a mat list of every possible item required for each recipe. It tells you which mats to gather, an estimation of how many you'll need... it also has an "other" category for mats like meats, skins and things that have to be found as opposed to gathered. And lastly, it tells you what to "pre-craft..." things like how many circles of leather or quicksilver... things you'll need to complete the actual list of crafts to get you through your desired level range.

I hope this helps you in your future crafting endeavors... Hopefully I didn't misunderstand the problem with the retainers and extra opened windows, and if I did, then hopefully the website will help so you don't have to use your craft log to find out what other items you need.