Well there you go, that's our problem. If you want to craft armour, you have to devote your character to crafting armour. Your professions are so demanding as to define your character.
The only way to make such a system work is to considerably dilute the demands. I know it sounds like a massive watering down of the RPG system , but it's that or alting. I'd rather every single character has a profession and is able to produce gear instead of just the dedicated base crafters. Even if it means more characters being a Jack of all Trades.
I would suggest that we minimise or completely remove the skill point investment/stat requirements for both professions and crafting. I know, it seems ridiculous that there's all these skills that will never get used - but we have a system that uses them, and the consequence is that everybody just makes alts. Much better to control what people can build by scarcity of blueprints.
Even with stuff like mining - make a mining alt so you can carry as much ore as possible. Don't use your main, because he's carrying decent gear and he doesn't have a sledgehammer with him, nor can he carry much, nor does he have the CH to bring mining slaves. So, you use your mining alt. When he's done you use your crafter alt with respectable science to turn that ore into something workable. Great. (I'm prepared to admit I simply despise the mining system)
I also realise a crafting rework is on the cards, so these issues may have been completely addressed.
Too arbitrary.
Developing professions should actually define a character- because they take a lot of time and effort to learn.
Eliminating requirements makes almost every character a combat character.
I prefer a simulaton bias to a "game" bias.
Blueprints are a good idea, depending on implementation. Do they magically dissappear after use?
Are they unshareable?
Either thing would be lame.
If they don't dissappear and are shareable (aside from maybe having to pay a trainer to teach the procedure accompanying the blueprint), they would be just another grind item. Requiring training to use each blueprint would be just another hoop to jump through.
I have no problem with that.
I would bring back crafting books as well.
Perhaps crafting books and blueprints could wear out from use over time.
I would also make crafting more difficult, with items requiring different professions cooperating to make subcomponents.
BTW there are plenty of "Level 0" items that allow anyone to be a crafter.
Even a combat character can spare a few points here and there.