Men Who Knit Promoting and inspiring the art of knitting amongst men.

I finished the black scarf for my soon-to-be-deployed friend, and I want to get it in the mail right away. But it occurs to me that I probably want to wash it & get it to soften up a bit. How to do this? I've heard several different things to use as far as soap goes: dishwashing liquid, "top of the lamb" (or something like that) wool soap, vinegar... Could someone out there give me a bit of advice on how to wash these items? I know I shouldn't toss it in the machine, agitate it too much, wring it, twist it, etc. But what do I use as far as soap? Also, how do I keep wool from shri