I had a question about this too but now I have the items and equips that I need. All you need to do is buy a recipe from basil or another merchant in the game. Next, once you have bought the desired recipe you have to learn it............(I know I got thrown off by this too) by clicking your arsenal and then your recipe and in drop down menu theres only one option that is to learn it...........click it. After you have learned your recipe THEN only THEN will it appear at a vendor. Next, go to any vendor it does not matter what vendor it is and hover over to the item that was learned then you'll see a window showing you what items you need to have and then the crowns and energy in order to "transmute" your item. Once you have all the items, crowns, and energy the "transmute" option will turn from a grayish color to yellow. Finally, click the yellow transmute button and there you go your new item has been crafted.