I've just come back to the game, and purchased a two month subscription. One of the reasons for this was to get make it easier to get involved in crew skills (with the ability to get 3 skills). I wanted to make dyes so I have more control over my look.
However, what I have found is that it seems to me that most of the dyes aren't crafted, but purchased through other means.
Is all crafting like this, because as of right now, I'm starting to wonder what the point really is when the best items seem to be just purchased off the cartel market. It seems its just better to gather, get slicing, profit, and not bother with crafting at all.