When having to craft large number of items that need quite a lot of materials (tiny abaci, ring of brodgar bread, pumpkin bread) inventory size becomes an issue - you have to constantly move iterms between inventory and some container.
So why not allow hearthlings to use items in currently open container as materials?
Or maybe even new type of container for this purpose, which can be loaded with materials and then hearthling can simply mass produce items while having it open.
For example - cooking table.
You can place up to 100 items in it, only cooking supplies (flour, veggies, meat etc.). Used for crafting food
Or workshop bench.
You can place up to 100 items - boards, wood blocks, metals etc.
Used for crafting tools, curios and metal stuff.
Requires anvil and some boards and nuggets to be built