OK, this is what I transcribed from all the screenshots I took when Yurei was giving Lotus advice. There were some things I just didn't understand so this is my interpretation of what I captured.
Crafting:
• Hasty Touch (0 CP) improves quality, has a 50% chance of success
• Steady Hand II stabilizes Hasty Touch and Rapid Synthesis (improves success rate); if CP is short then using Steady Hand II is most important
• Always try to use Steady Hand and then Waste Not as it gives more turns
• Use Tricks of the Trade, if it is available, before a Steady Hand
• Piece by Piece (ARM 50) completes 33% of remaining progress
• Byregot’s Blessing (CRP 50) is critical skill – it turns Inner Quiet into a final quality increase burst; best used as a combo near last step (assuming 20 or 15 durability and only needing one last synthesis to complete)
o Steady Hand II, Great Strides, Innovation (optional), then Byregot’s Blessing
• Comfort Zone (ALC 50), use before Inner Quiet and before Manipulation; gives CP regen over 10 turns
• Once you use up ½ durability use Manipulation, Inner Quiet II, Waste Not combo once and four Hasty Touch; Tricks of the Trade may help if available
• Use Steady Hand without Waste Not to get a few Hasty Touch; if possible use Great Stride at stack 2 remaining then Byregot’s Blessing to finish
Phase 1 (not sure if this is just progress or progress and quality):
1. Maker’s Mark and Flawless Synthesis are a pretty good opener, about 400 free progress from that per Yurei
2. Inner Quiet
3. Tricks of the Trade (only if good or excellent)
4. Steady Hand
5. Waste Not
6. Rapid Synthesis (only if item won’t complete in one step)
7. If Rapid Synthesis completes in one step use Careful Synthesis
Quality increase phase:
1. You want to get the item to where one Careful Synthesis finishes it
2. Steady Hand
3. Waste Not (last four turns per Yurei)
4. Hasty Touch
5. Tricks of the Trade (only if good or excellent) – use once in this phase
6. At the end the durability will be 5
7. Manipulation (restores 30 durability but 10 points at a time)
8. Steady Hand
9. Waste Not
10. Rumination (useful for CP) [Replace with Byregot’s Blessing]
11. Hasty Touch
Option: use Great Strides then Accurate Touch
Specialist stuff:
Maker’s Mark = free CP/durability
Edits/revisions/updates are all welcome.